Arcanum
by Coeur Al'Aran
Summary: Living day to day as a messenger in the slums, Ruby thought her life was set out for her. But when a mysterious meeting with an Arcanist draws her into a conspiracy that threatens all she loves, that changes. Wielding the power of a Wildmage and hunted by enemies and Arcanists alike, Ruby must find answers in the one place her kind cannot venture; the Arcane Collegium.
1. Chapter 1

**Welcome, one and all, to my new fic – Arcanum. This is a fantasy-based AU somewhat similar to Forged Destiny in style, though not in lore, concept or plot. It's going to be a first in many different ways, not least of all is that it won't focus on Jaune at all. It's also, I hope, going to be a story with a fair bit of world building, because the world of Remnant here is going to be markedly different from canon.**

**It will be updated on a fortnightly basis, updated on Tuesdays alongside Service with a Smile. **

**Like Forged Destiny, I'm going to try and adapt a "book style" to this, but I'll not be saying how long those will be, etc. Books might vary in size as per requirements and while some might be 80,000 words in length, others might be 120,000 or even higher. Don't worry too much about the distinction. It's more a way for me to keep my plans cohesive.**

**NOTE: Due to some confusion, I will explain that this is not an unexpected or out of nowhere story. It replaces "Dating what Daddy Hates" which ended one month ago. As per my modus operandi, a new story comes out to fill that slot**

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**Book 1: Wildmage**

**Chapter 1**

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The Merchant's Quarter bustled with activity.

Ruby watched the crowds of finely dressed people make their way through brightly-coloured tents and palanquins set up around the central fountain in the Vale market plaza. Trinkets, cloth and numerous other rare and foreign delicacies were on display. The spicy scent of some baked Vacuan treats wafted up to brush against her nostrils. The delicate crust, the black spices atop the glazing. What would they taste like, she wondered?

Her stomach grumbled piteously and she moved on, knowing that to tarry would only give her away. Ruby crept across a series of wooden beams high above the plaza, hidden by numerous shrubs, plants and climbing vines that made it into a sheltered area for patrons to rest and escape the sun. It beat down on her; sweltering midday heat.

Ruby didn't much like the heat. Her skin was too delicate, so fair that it burned easily and just as like to peel if she was caught out in it too long. Her shoulder-length black hair, tinted at the ends a crimson, protected her bare shoulders but no more. The grey button-up shirt and black trousers did little to shield her from it, but then it was too hot to bring a cloak. The city of Vale was burning, trapped in the grip of a relentless summer.

And, in truth, she was not supposed to be here.

_Yang won't know,_ Ruby thought, creeping further along the trellis. She patted the small leather pouch on her side, content in the knowledge she'd completed her morning's work. The message had been delivered, another retrieved for her boss. Once she delivered it, it was job done. She could afford to dawdle a little and it wasn't every day a job took her out of the poorer parts of the city.

It wasn't the market or the sweet treats Ruby had come to see, however. As the sun reached its zenith, a small group appeared, as they did every day, on the western edge of the plaza. The crowds made way for them without protest, the small group cutting through the people like a fish through river water. Cowled figures, hooded and adorned in the finest of robes, gold scrolling, strange and mysterious runes and images etched into their cloaks. They moved with purpose – only three of them all – but they had the presence of ten men.

Arcanists. Wielders of magic, the arcane arts. Mysterious and powerful beyond measure, they stood head and shoulders above the men and women of the city, especially those of her ilk.

Licking her lips, Ruby took a step closer, seeking a better view. Her foot sought purchase on a wooden slat hidden by a wild bouquet of tulips. The moment she put her weight on it, the wood _cracked_ violently and gave way. Startled, Ruby stumbled and almost fell, catching herself on a different beam before she could and hanging precariously.

Someone, a woman below, screamed.

"Guards, guards!"

"Thief!"

"Oops." Ruby swung her legs quickly and vaulted back up, balancing easily atop one beam. A quick glance showed the Arcanists looking her way – along with almost everyone in the plaza. More a pressing concern, two guards were making their way through the crowd toward her, wooden batons bared. "Uh-oh."

Ruby darted back along the beam she was stood on, body held low and arms to her side to help her go. Leaping, she cleared the edge of it and slid down the cloth suspended on the back end, ignoring the startled cries of the patrons she slid by. At the bottom were several pots of flowers which she plummeted through, shattering the clay and sending soil and buds in every direction.

"After him!"

Landing, she rolled and was moving, darting left and right between startled figures, too fast to stop. Those that tried caught nothing, Ruby too fast and too slippery for them. It didn't stop the guards pushing through after her.

_They're persistent today. I didn't even steal anything._

Not that it mattered. Someone from the poor district up in the Merchant's Quarter? No one would believe she'd come for anything other than trouble. Thievery, begging or simple loitering. All could earn a beating from the guards. It might have been worse, and often was for girls, but Ruby had the hair of a boy and the figure to match, especially with her modest breasts bound under her blouse.

Reaching the end of the plaza, she hopped up onto the marble railing that separated the quarters and looked down over the edge. A solid drop, all the way down a wall at least thirty feet high that cut off the paupers from those slightly wealthier. It was a long drop even by her standards.

"Got you!" one of the guards crowed. "Blasted gutter rat; it's the cells for you."

_On second thought…_ With a quick breath, Ruby jumped off the wall and down, curling into a ball as she hurtled down towards the ground. Straw and manure broke her fall, exploding around her as she crashed into the midden heap. The trash was accumulated as those in the district above threw it down, passing their problems onto the district below, where it would collect and fester unless dealt with.

The foul, acrid smell of animal waste assaulted her nostrils, a far cry from the sweet spices from before. Pinching her nose, Ruby rolled out of the heap and onto her feet – staggered for a moment and then caught herself with a heavy gasp. Nothing was broken but her back was sore. Not to mention she wanted to drown herself in a river to get rid of the smell.

The guards above yelled some obscenity her way and shook their fists, but neither was about to come down. Not and sully their clean tabards in the Lower Quarter. Ruby made a rude sign with her hand and yelped when one of them drew out a crossbow. Darting out the way and around a corner, she caught her breath against a wall.

That was close. Closer than it should have been. She'd let her mind wander, a silly mistake in what Yang called enemy territory. It wasn't, but it might as well have been. That was certainly how the wealthier members of Vale saw them. They wouldn't have erected walls around the slums if that weren't the case, great big gated things that looked like the walls surrounding the city itself, yet these ones designed to keep the unsavoury elements of the city trapped in their own quarter. The other quarters were even built up higher, their waste and refuse falling on those below.

You could find a few nice things like that, scavenging what was tossed aside from above. It wasn't the best of work, but if it kept someone eating, it was worth it. Ruby winced and made to sneak away, only to freeze when a hand grabbed her shoulder.

"Ruby! Is that you? You smell like shit."

Ruby winced and spun, prepared for a mugging but presented with something far worse. A familiar face. "M-Melanie! I can explain."

"Whoah, not so close. Or at least stand downwind? Ugh." The pretty girl pinched her nose between her finger and thumb and leaned back. Short and lithe, Melanie held the dubious honour of being Junior's favourite. Favourite what, she would never say. Whore, Ruby supposed. In a nasally voice the girl said, "Yang's looking for you, along with Junior. Been waiting half an hour or more."

"I was busy."

"Busy bathing in shit? You can explain to them. Not my business."

Melanie wandered away, unable to deal with Ruby's pungent scent. She was a harsh and rude girl. Nice enough, if anyone born in the Lower Quarter could be considered nice, but only to those she cared enough about. Ruby wouldn't have been that normally, but Melanie got on with her sister, Yang having cracked more than a few heads who tried things on with her.

That was as good as she could get. In the Lower Quarter, you lived or died on how useful you were. Community spirit, Yang would say. You want food, you either pay for it, steal it or do a favour with someone who has spare. Yang stole. Ruby did favours – though thankfully not _those_ kinds of favours. She didn't have the body for it. Too wiry, too short and too much like a boy. Not even one of the pretty boys who plied their trade and bodies on the borders of the Merchant District. Just a gangly, greasy, silver-eyed tomboy.

It kept her safe. Kept her running messages instead of spreading her legs. Or worse.

Scrambling around the building, Ruby made her way towards Junior's crib, avoiding the pleading eyes of beggars and the hungry ones of those about to turn from beggar to mugger, maybe killer. She kept a grip on the tiny knife on her belt – not only as protection but also to prevent anyone trying to steal it. As she got closer to Junior's turf, she relaxed. People knew her here. Knew better than to think her a safe target.

Her sister stood before the entrance, one foot up against the wall, one hand playing with a knife, picking dirt from her fingers. Beautiful and dangerous in equal measure, Yang could have been a prized girl in a whorehouse, but was, in fact, one of Junior's most dangerous enforcers. A hood covered most of her head, but her golden hair shone through. She wore a leather jerkin, sleeveless, over a dark green cotton tunic tucked into brown pants. Only seventeen cycles, she was still a dangerous and unpredictable predator in the Lower Quarter – and the only person Ruby would admit to being afraid of, if not for the reason most people were. The average person who crossed her got off with a beating. As family, Ruby had to put up with something worse – sisterly disappointment.

Yang sighed the moment she saw her. "Ruby…"

"Hey. I-I can explain."

"Yeah? Glad to hear it. Junior gave you a job, Ruby. A simple one. What the hell are you doing coming back covered in horse muck?" Yang pushed off the wall and approached, sheathing her dagger at her hip. She pushed back her hood, revealing long and luscious golden-blonde hair much unlike Ruby's short-cropped black.

"I slipped."

"Up a horse's backside?"

Ruby winced. She knew that Yang had figured it out, the questions being more a test. Lie and Yang would get angry. Tell the truth and she'd still be angry, but at least she wouldn't get a lecture for the lying. "Off the wall…"

"And what," Yang said with an exasperated sigh, "were you doing on the wall? Last I checked, Junior sent you to the gates – not through or over 'em."

Unable to answer, Ruby shrugged helplessly.

"Damn it, Ruby. I've told you about this. You need to get your head out the clouds. We don't belong up there. We're orphans, scum. The lower quarter is our home and we make the best of it we can. That doesn't include risking your life to get a glimpse of those born lucky."

"I was just looking…"

"Yeah? And just getting in trouble for it, I imagine. You could have found a safer way down otherwise. Let me guess, you saw something that caught your eye and got caught in turn. Had to run away from the guards. How's that for a guess?"

Ruby kicked at the floor nervously.

"What am I going to do with you? Come on. At least tell me you delivered the message Junior sent you for."

"Yes!" Ruby excitedly brought her pouch forward and offered it to Yang, eager to lighten her telling-off. "And I got one in return."

"That's great." Yang leaned back. To be fair, the leather pouch was also covered in muck. "You can, uh, give that to him yourself. I think he's got another job for you." Yang sighed and caught Ruby by the hood before she could slip by. "Bath first," she grunted, dragging Ruby away. "Junior isn't going to see you looking and smelling like that."

/-/

Ruby sat naked in the copper tub with the muddy water reaching up to her neck, Yang behind, sleeves drawn back and scrubbing roughly at her shoulders. It had taken a good twenty minutes for Yang to draw enough water from the river that worked its way through Vale – even longer for them to heat the coals enough to get the water up to a temperature that wasn't ice-cold. It couldn't be called warm even now, more a tepid middle-ground. It had been a dirty brown colour before they started but was now darker. It was the best they could manage.

At least they were sheltered in the dingy wooden room Junior provided for them, a single room shared between the two of them in Junior's ratty townhouse. Their possessions numbered a bed, a large cushion with several holes in it that functioned as a seat, a table and two small wooden chairs. A chest sat at the end of the bed, locked and containing their meagre supplies. Their valuables, what little wealth they'd accumulated, was hidden under a floorboard beneath the table.

The room was lived in but spartan, lacking in any décor that gave it a sense of homeliness, but giving off the impression of being in constant use. There were little signs of their presence; a knife wound in the table, a carved picture of a horse and even a charcoal drawing stuck to the wall by a nail, showing three smiling figures holding hands. Most of that went ignored as Yang splashed more mucky water over Ruby's face.

"You need to take more care of yourself," she said, pushing Ruby forward in the tub to get at her back. She scrubbed away with a rough brush, scraping Ruby's skin a bright pink. "What do you think would have happened if you'd been caught?"

"I look like a boy, Yang. They wouldn't do anything to me."

"They'd have beaten you black and blue. Maybe thrown you back down with a broken leg for any asshole down here to rob and leave for dead. Don't take me for an idiot, Ruby."

"S-Sorry."

"Sorry isn't going to cut it." Yang brought some water up between her palms and used it to soak Ruby's hair. "Not until you actually follow through on being sorry and stop putting yourself in danger." She sighed. "What did you see up there anyway? Not like you to get caught."

Ruby perked up immediately, half-turning in the water. "I saw some Arcanists!"

"Oh, great." Yang didn't share her excitement. "More assholes, this time in robes."

"Yaaang. Arcanists. Magic!"

"I know what they do, Ruby. Doesn't mean much to me unless they have a spell to wash all this shit off you. So, you saw some Arcanists. And then what? You ran down there to talk to them or something?"

"I slipped…"

"Idiot." Yang placed both hands on Ruby's shoulders and pushed down suddenly, dunking her. Ruby came back up kicking and spluttering, but Yang didn't even pay attention. She just lathered some animal fat into her hands and started to work on Ruby's hair. "Be more aware of your surroundings in future. And be especially careful of them lot. Guards you can outrun. If an Arcanist gets it in his head to bring you down, you'll go down. Maybe permanently."

"I didn't mean to slip…"

"I know. But better you weren't up there risking your life in the first place. I know you're obsessed with them-"

"It's not an obsession…"

"- but that doesn't mean it's safe. Arcanists come from the Collegium. The Collegium is for those in the upper districts only. We're slum-dwellers. _Dredgers_. We need to make the most of what we can, not reach for things beyond the stars." Yang sighed. "Time to rinse."

"Wh-blurbl!" Ruby cut off into bubbles as she was pushed under once again. She was held under for a few seconds before being allowed up, and she glared at Yang as she stood and dusted her hands off, reaching for a dry cloth Yang had set to heat over a simmering fire.

"Up."

"I can dry myself!"

"Up!"

Grumbling, Ruby stood, accepting the thin cloth as it was wrapped around her body from breasts to hip. It was warm and nice, if rough and stretched thin, repaired multiple times by their clumsy sewing skills. Yang at least let her dry herself, though she took the time to push Ruby onto a ratty stool and smooth out her hair.

"Does it matter? It'll just get messy again."

"It matters," Yang said, slapping her hands away. "You've got mom's hair. You need to take care of it."

As always, the mention of Summer was enough to drive any argument from her. Ruby sat still and dried herself off as Yang picked out the knots, tangles and occasional pieces of straw. Soon, her hair was smooth and flat once more, falling down to frame her face.

"Perfect." Yang stood. "Now, get dressed and go meet Junior. He's got another job for you. Quick one, not too far. And this time, try and stay out of trouble. Got it?"

"Yes Yang…"

"And don't be looking into more of that magic stuff, Ruby. It's bad news."

"I know…"

Yang looked her up and down as Ruby hurried into a fresh set of clothes, little more than a tattered brown tunic over a pair of darker brown hose. It would take time to wash the stains out of her best outfit. With a long sigh, Yang pulled her own hood off her shoulders, placing the traveller's cloak around Ruby to keep her warm.

"Get going, you, and don't give me reason to panic again."

"Okay." Ruby shifted guiltily. Yang had a way of making her feel like that. "Love you."

Yang's ire melted just a little. "Love you too."

/-/

"Ruby." Junior sounded impatient – he always did. One of the more well-known men within the slums, Junior had a reputation to uphold, and uphold it he did. He was a heavy-set man with broad shoulders and a flat face perpetually tugged into a frown. His hands opened and closed on the table in front of him, and Ruby had once heard it was because he'd strangled an Arcanist to death and had a curse laid on him. Junior never talked about it.

Junior was dangerous and the two enforcers flanking him were just as bad – but Ruby didn't fear him. For one, she was more useful alive than dead, and a messenger with a broken leg couldn't run. Secondly, Junior wanted Yang. Wanted Yang on his payroll and, Ruby thought, in his bed. Either one would have kept her safe; both ensured it.

"Junior." She bowed nonetheless and pushed her now-clean pouch onto the table. "I delivered the message. Randol wanted me to take this back to you."

"Hm." Junior took and opened the pouch, letting both a rolled-up parchment and a small pouch of coins drop out. He nodded to the man beside him, who stepped forward, opened the pouch and spilled the coins onto the table.

Slowly and methodically, he counted through them.

"None missing. Good."

"I wouldn't have stolen any."

"Hm." Junior made a sound that could have meant anything. "Randol might have. Better late then never. Good job." Reaching into the coins, he flicked one across the table, which Ruby snatched and put into her tunic.

"Melanie said you had another for me."

"Yes." As always, Junior spoke slowly – carefully. He was always cautious, ever watching his back and quick to see treachery in others. Even quicker to dispense his own kind of brutal justice. Often times, that was delivered by Yang.

Ruby knew better than to chance it. Junior kept them fed, sheltered and safe – more than could be said of most in the slums. Also, any mistakes she made would reflect on Yang. For both their sakes, she had to play Junior's games.

"One of my old friends has been approached by a client. Mysterious bastard, or so he says. Wants to discuss a transit out of the Lower Quarter and into the Upper."

"Past the Merchant's Quarter?"

"All the way up to the next level."

That was a dangerous prospect. The tiered city became smaller and more tightly packed the higher you went, and while the Upper District wasn't the highest, it was where those on the up and up lived, gentry and lesser nobles alike. The guards were better trained, equipped and had a reputation for harsh justice. Merchants watched their step, which meant a rat like her – a Dredger – ought to think twice. Yang was already furious she'd gone into the Merchant's Quarter.

"You want me to go to the Upper Quarter?"

"No." he said – and Ruby let out the breath she'd been holding. "I need you to meet the client, though. Collect the package; discuss terms. This will be an expensive job for us." Which meant that the delivery would be handled through bribery rather than one of Junior's agents, probably a case of paying off the guards to deliver it. Safer than trying to sneak someone like her up, but expensive. "It needs to be worth our while, otherwise I'm not interested."

"I understand. What's the limit?"

"Hundred lien."

Ruby whistled. A hundred? That was more than she'd ever seen in one spot at any given time. A fresh loaf of bread could cost two lien – stale about half a lien. A hundred could last someone for a long time, though it obviously meant less in the upper districts. Bribery was an expensive business, it seemed.

"Any less and you walk out. If the client causes trouble, let 'em know what that means."

_You mean tell them that even if they beat me, it won't make you move a finger. _Junior wanted her to go because it meant relatively little for her to be hurt. Yang would be angry, but the ire would be directed elsewhere.

"You'll be paid," Junior said, pushing three more coins onto the table. Ruby didn't reach for them, knowing he only paid on a delivery completed. Even so, three lien would be a welcome boost to her and Yang's pantry. And it wasn't like she had a choice.

"Where do I meet the client?"

/-/

Ruby slipped into the tavern and pinched her nose against the fearsome smell of sweat, urine and beer. Crowded and loud, the patrons argued and shouted obscenities at one another over frothing pewter tankards of strong barley beer. Beer was one of the few amenities the Lower Quarter had, and most came as cast-offs give to those who worked the farms outside the walls.

Considering that the river that ran through the centre of Vale came to them last, the water was often dirty – making beer a safer means of consumption, if you could afford it. Ruby had been drinking beer since before she could remember and still hated the taste. She hated coming down with gripe and sickness even more, especially when it meant she couldn't deliver for Junior and Yang had to work harder, riskier jobs or bring less food home. Medicine down in the slums was a risky business and expensive at the best of times. Those who were good at it, real healers, tended to earn enough to live in the higher districts, leaving only the disgraced, the frauds or the risktakers behind.

Most of the patrons recognised her as she stepped through the mess. Not as Ruby Rose, but as Yang's sister – an infinitely more dangerous person to tangle with. A few snorted her way and one or two looked her up and down, either checking out a young girl on the cusp of womanhood or, more likely, looking to see if she was worth roughing down. If she had any valuables. Most ignored her. Against her sister, she really didn't stand out, either in danger or beauty.

Mac was working the bar as usual; the portly man slammed a tankard against a keg, tapped it and poured out the amber liquid. He took a long drink, then put the tankard down on the counter and pushed it towards her.

Ruby cringed but accepted it, choosing to sip from the opposite side. "Thank you."

"Junior sent you?"

"For a client."

"Hnn." Mac snorted and looked to the left. "Watch yourself with this one. Came in and demanded Junior by name. Fancily dressed, armed, but no one dares touch her. Unnatural if you ask me. Ain't no one can walk through these streets dressed like that and not find a shiv in their back."

"Her?"

"Over by the corner. Hooded. The one in black."

Ruby looked without making it obvious, but it wouldn't have mattered if she'd stood on the counter and waved her arms. The figure was sat at a table with a dark hood pulled up over their face, concealing any features. She was facing away, leaving Ruby with only the back of her hood and the wooden stool to see.

"She doesn't look odd to me."

"Look again," Mac said with a little sigh. "That cloak is silk as far as I can tell. What good is that against the rain and wind? She wears black leather with silver buckles. See that sword at her side? Who in these parts can afford to wield a sword, and for what reason?"

"Well, she's wealthy then. That's good. Junior won't accept the job otherwise."

"Wealthy is one way of putting in. Now, ask yourself this, how does someone with this kind of wealth exist in the Lower Quarter?"

"They don't," she realised, looking again. The woman sat alone with a tankard in front of her, her back to many of the patrons in the tavern, and yet not a one had made a move towards her. Show off your lien too freely and someone would try and take advantage. It seemed impossible that no one had here, and yet there she was, unconcerned with the world around her.

"Yeah. And yet here she is, and without a set of guards to keep her safe. No guards, but alive and well, drinking in my bar."

Ruby caught the message. The woman was either ignorant, lucky or – more likely – dangerous enough to look after herself. Her stomach dropped. "Oh."

"`Oh` is right," Mac said. "Watch yourself."

`Watch yourself`, not `I'll come with you` or an offer to help. Ruby wouldn't have expected it but found herself wishing Mac had made the offer anyway. Fingering her knife, she wondered if she could call it quits and tell Junior the deal had fallen through.

Not with Mac watching she couldn't.

Something you learned early in the Lower Quarters, after learning how little the world cared, was that there was a certain pecking order. A hierarchy. Even in the most lawless part of the city, there existed rules. Unwritten rules. For one, you didn't attack or kill someone working a stall or store. After all, if you killed the baker then who would bake the bread? You also didn't make trouble with what limited guards came through every other week, because no one needed more attention – or the kind of discipline the guards dealt.

More than that, you learned who was a target and who was not. Those that learned such a lesson lived to steal another day. Those that did not? Well, it all depended on the person you chose to take on. If they were feeling merciful, you might get away with a broken hand. If not? Not everyone lived to learn their lessons.

This woman had all the hallmarks of someone not to be fucked with. Ruby knew it the second she stepped away from Mac and closer to the table. There were empty seats around her, empty space despite that the tavern was full everywhere else. A woman sitting alone should have attracted attention, but this one was the opposite. Men went out of their way not to notice her.

The sword at her side was a danger, but the way she sat with it, comfortably and yet in a position where she could draw at a moment's notice, told Ruby the weapon was no idle threat. This was a killer. Ruby had seen her fair share, but always from a distance. Yang had been a natural at distinguishing who was safe to approach or not, and although she wasn't as good, she could pick out the little details once they were pointed out to her.

Swallowing, she stepped up and stopped a small distance away. Close enough to be noticed, not close enough to be mistaken as a threat. She coughed for good measure, shuffled her feet and waited.

"You're one of Junior's?" The voice was low, feminine, soft. Ruby nodded, and then realised the woman couldn't see it.

"I am. I'm a messenger. Junior sent me to deal."

The figure nodded. "Take a seat."

_I'd really rather not,_ she thought. Sitting at the same table would leave her all kinds of defenceless, not to mention out of knife reach but within that of the sword. Still, she knew her place and knew refusal wasn't an option. Stepping forward, Ruby drew out the seat opposite the woman and sat down. She placed both hands atop the table, in view.

The woman wasn't that much older than her. Possibly Yang's age, maybe older, she had an angular and smooth face that seemed exotic and out of place in the Lower Quarter. Dark hair fell on either side, swept back into her hood, and light bangs reached down to dark, amber eyes. The hood was peaked slightly atop her head, hinting at inhuman ears beneath the cloth.

_A faunus? I thought they all died when Menagerie disappeared._

Apart from her black hood and cloak, the woman wore a dark leather cuirass with criss-crossed belts and buckles, a pouch on her hip, another to the side of her right breast and a corset that reached down to tight, leather trousers and knee-length boots. All of it in shades of black, grey or dark brown. _Mercenary_, Ruby thought immediately. She had the look of someone hired to kill.

From the looks of it, business had been good.

"You're the messenger Junior intends to use?" The woman looked her up and down and frowned. "You're young."

"I-I'm a messenger, but not the one." Swallowing, she composed herself. "Junior would need to bribe some people to get your package higher. I'd only be the one to take it to the people he needs to pay."

"Unacceptable. This must not leave trusted hands."

_Then why are you giving it to us? You can't trust Junior or me anymore than a crooked guard._

"Getting into the Upper Quarter would be almost impossible for one of us," Ruby tried to explain, biting back the fear the woman's piercing eyes brought. "I can get into the Merchant's Quarter by climbing the walls, but the walls to the Upper are guarded and protected by Arcanist's spells. I'd be killed."

The woman's fingers drummed on the table top. "I was assured Junior was the best."

"He is. We are. But what you're asking just isn't possible."

"I'm prepared to pay."

"It's not an issue of coin. It's-"

"Two thousand lien."

Ruby's mouth fell open. She fell back on her seat, the strength stolen from her body. Two thousand? That – That was ridiculous. Insane. It was enough to buy a property in the Merchant's Quarter. It would be enough for Yang and her to _move_ to the Merchant's Quarter. They could escape the slums.

"T-That's a lot, but it's still an impossible job. The Arcanists-"

"I can provide a way around their protections. All you would need to worry about is the guards."

"It wouldn't be me who did this."

"No. It has to be. It will be." The woman's hand snatched Ruby's and drew it across the table. Ruby gasped and reached for her knife, only to feel her entire body lock up. She couldn't move a muscle – and not because she was frozen out of terror. Looking down to her hand, Ruby saw a faint, grey mist connecting her skin to the woman's. Spectral, ghostly chains wrapped and coiled about her arm, digging into her flesh without pain or tactile sensation.

Ruby's breath caught. Her words came out a frightened whimper. "Arcanist…"

Amber eyes stared into her own. The woman didn't nod, but her eyes – and the shadowy chains – more than confirmed it. No mercenary; something far more dangerous. Someone who could, at a whim, kill her right here and now.

"The protections of other Arcanists will be of no concern for me – or for you. I will shroud you in shadow and see you through. If you agree to deliver my package yourself."

There was an Arcanist in front of her, an actual Arcanist. Ruby's heart beat so fast she thought it might burst. She had questions – so many questions – but the look in the woman's eyes said such would be fatally unwise. Arcanists were dangerous. This woman had been intimidating before, but now stood on an altogether different level. She could very easily destroy Junior's entire gang, Ruby and Yang along with them.

"Do we have a deal?"

Yes. No. Two thousand lien. Junior would _kill_ her if she tried to take it for herself, but if the money was contingent on someone delivering it personally, Junior might refuse the contract anyway. If he failed and lost whatever was worth that much, this Arcanist might come looking for answers. One did not court the anger of someone with the power to destroy everything you held dear. Safer to say no and let the woman keep her coin.

But if that happened, if Junior refused, then what was to stop her trying it? If she could earn that kind of money, she and Yang would be set for life.

"W-What if Junior wants it to be someone other than me?"

"Then I shall refuse. It must be you." The woman's fingers stroked her wrist, tracing an ice-cold pattern across Ruby's skin. A strange, curved shape appeared on Ruby's inner arm, a tattoo of some kind. "This will ensure it," the Arcanist said.

Ruby pulled her arm back the moment it was released and cradled her wrist. It still felt like she'd dunked it in the river on a mid-winter morning. Her thumb touched the tattoo, which did not budge. It didn't look alive, nor magical. It looked like any other image inked into her skin, except of a strange flower-like symbol.

Even so, fear crept up her. An Arcanist could do anything they put their mind to – or so the legends went. Some said they could control minds, others claimed they could bring back the dead or summon demons from another plane of existence. Creating tattoos was within that realm, but she dared not imagine that was all this was.

"What did you do to me?"

"It is a precaution. Nothing more." The Arcanist reached into her cape and produced a beautiful box made of varnished oak. It was small, hardly five inches on either side. It had the same symbol as was on her arm carved into the wood. "It will ensure that this remains with you at all times, even should someone try to take it from you. You will not be able to give it away. Not until my recipient relieves you of it."

"B-But I didn't agree to take the job…"

"I can remove it, of course." The woman leaned back. "I shall remain here for another two days. Take this to Junior and make to him my proposal. Should he refuse and should you decide it not worth the risk, return and I shall lift you of the burden. I assure you, the enchantment is as safe to remove as it was to apply. For now, consider it a warning to your employer, a warning not to betray me."

"He wouldn't. That's bad business."

"Perhaps. But for two thousand lien, any man will turn on another."

Ruby rubbed her arm to work some warmth into it. The box sat on the table, innocuous and yet somehow threatening at the same time. "You just need it delivered to the Upper City? Where to? Not the Arcane Collegium, surely. Even I can't get in there."

"Not the Collegium. Upper Quarter; a small store of antiques known as Vincent's Antique and Curiosities. Vincent is an Arcanist like me and will be able to remove the enchantment. It is he who will pay you."

"And if he doesn't?"

"Then _I_ shall not be pleased and will pay you myself, then take the difference out of his flesh."

Ruby believed her. "That's it, then? Take this, deliver it and that's all? He'll remove the mark?"

"That's all."

It wasn't, Ruby knew. If something looked too good to be true it probably was, but opportunities like this didn't come around twice. They rarely came the first time. Nervously, she thought about the job – and then thought about what two thousand lien could do for her and Yang. A home, fresh food, safety and a chance at a better life. A chance of making it past forty.

She took the box.

* * *

**Here's the first chapter. Welcome to the world of Arcanum, where things aren't going to get explained early on and there will be a fair bit of confusion. I hope I did Ruby okay for people, even if she is definitely a lot more cautious and grounded in this story than canon thanks to her lifestyle. I tried to have her be different and yet similar, with little bits of her canon curiosity and excitement showing through (towards Arcanists, like she is with weapons in canon) while still having her be a bit grittier and less naïve as a result of her life here.**

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**Next Chapter: 7****th**** May**

**P a treon . com (slash) Coeur **


	2. Chapter 2

**One of the things I always enjoy about starting a new story is the cavalcade of "This is basically just…" that you get. It's rarely mean-spirited and more people finding similarities, but it's always interesting to see what is picked. I often get stuff I've never heard of and what confuses the hell out of me, like someone saying "From Beyond" is like some anime about tennis or that "Beacon Civil War" copied Bleach.**

**This story at least got some book ones for a change and not anime – so hey, that's good. We have Mistborn, Harry Potter and a series by Trudi Canavan. Makes sense, I suppose. They all have a magic school or magical lore, and main characters who are poor and downtrodden. But then, so do thousands of books. **

**I'm always open on what I take inspiration from, if I do. Beacon Civil War said from the start how it basically tried to copy Sandy Mitchell's series in Ciaphas Cain, while One Good Turn was inspired by David Gemmell's works. This story? I can honestly say it's not inspired by any of the above at all. If anything, it takes elements from loads of little things ranging from Warhammer Fantasy (real fantasy, before that Age of Sigmar BS), Dragon Age, Dota 2, Magic the Gathering, League of Legends and even pagan lore. It doesn't take the storylines of any of these, just some snippets of lore and background mechanics that I thought looked interesting. Most of those won't even be apparent yet but may be later.**

* * *

**Book 1: Wildmage**

**Chapter 2**

* * *

"Upper Quarter?" Junior mulled the idea and leaned back, working his tongue around his teeth like he'd swallowed something unimaginably foul. "And she wants _you_ to be the one to deliver it?"

"Yes." Ruby say across the table from Junior, hands in her lap and head down. It wasn't him she feared, though only a fool wouldn't be cautious around him. The real problem was Yang, in attendance behind him and acting as bodyguard and muscle for the day.

"Boss, we can't do this," Yang said. "It's too dangerous."

"But-"

"You think I don't know that?" Junior ran roughshod over her, cutting her off before she could get a word out. "The reward is good, almost too good, and that would have me nervous as it is. Add in the Upper Quarter and some bullshit about it having to be her, though, and I'm out." He shook his head and pushed back from the table. "We're not interested."

"But two thousand lien!"

"Money is meaningless if you're not alive to spend it. I've made my decision." Junior stood and made to walk away, pausing to add, "Keep what I gave you. Services rendered. Yang, you're with me. Samson hasn't paid his loan back for the third week running."

"On it, boss. Just let me talk to Ruby first?"

Junior sighed. "Five minutes and we're leaving."

"Thanks." Yang waited for Junior to storm out the room before she moved over to sit on the edge of the table and ruffle Ruby's hair. "Cheer up. You still got paid and you came back fine."

"But two thousand lien, Yang. That would be enough to move into the Merchant's Quarter. How often does something like this come along?"

"There's something to be said about a deal that's too good to be true, Ruby. It usually is. Who comes into the Slums with money like that?"

"She was rich. I could tell. And dangerous." She left it unsaid that the girl had been an Arcanist. If Yang knew that, then it would be hopeless. Junior would freak out as well.

"If that's that capable, why not do this herself?"

"I – I don't know…"

"Exactly." Yang hopped off the table and straightened her trousers, tying the rope cord around it a little tighter and adjusting her dagger. "Look, I've got to go. Samson is on his third and that means we're taking blood. Don't do anything stupid, alright? Don't go looking for that woman again."

A fist banged on the door. "Yang. Hurry your ass up."

"Fucking three minutes at best," she hissed at the door. "Impatient bastard. Sorry sis, duty calls."

"Be careful," Ruby called after her.

"Heh. Tell that to Samson."

Ruby hurried back to her and Yang's shared room and locked the door, sitting down on her bed and drawing out the ornate little wooden cube that the Arcanist had given her. _Yang will lose her mind if she finds out about this or the tattoo. _Idly, she scratched at it, wondering in amazement at how it sat there, etched into her skin, yet neither hurt nor felt rough to the touch. It was the closest application of the arcane arts Ruby had ever seen, and it was galling how little she knew about it. Worrying, too.

The Arcanist had said it would ensure the box stayed with her – whatever that meant. Ruby placed it down on the table in the middle of the room then walked back to her bed. The cube stayed there. Standing and huffing, she went to the door and opened it, stepped outside and closed it again. She looked down at her hand, the tattoo on her inner arm, and then checked her pockets. Nothing. Opening the door revealed the cube sitting nicely on the table where she'd left it.

The window was tempting but she wasn't brave enough to try it. What happened if the magic didn't work like she thought it did and throwing it out simply meant she lost it? How was she going to explain that to an angry Arcanist armed to the teeth? "I don't understand," she grumbled, picking up the box once more and carrying it to her bed to fiddle with. "What are you supposed to even do?"

It was a perfect cube about five inches across, up and down. All six faces had the same symbol as on her arm and it was dark and varnished with little black lines that looked like seams. Careful to be gentle, she fiddled with it, trying to see if it would open, shift or click in any way while being cautious not to push too hard and break it. When nothing happened, she brought it up to her ear and gave it a little shake. Nothing rattled inside.

"I guess I'll have to take you back to the Arcanist lady tomorrow," Ruby decided, hiding the cube under her shirt.

/-/

Yang was back and in bed when dawn eventually broke. Still asleep, there was a small bundle of bloodstained clothing beside her bed that told her Samson hadn't been able to find the money to pay back Junior's loan. She wondered if he'd been left without a hand for it, or if Yang had been made to go further. Her sister was always in a bad mood after a night like that, even if she did her best to hide it so Ruby wouldn't realise.

The little wooden box felt heavy and ominous as she picked it up. The Arcanist had said she could come back to Mac's and talk to her to give it back and say they wouldn't take the job, at which point she would hopefully undo whatever spell had been cast on her and not get angry. Mac's wasn't open until sundown, though, which meant she had a day to kill first.

Slipping out and downstairs with the little cube stashed away on her person, she found Junior sat at a table counting coins, Miltia behind him massaging his shoulders and Melanie nowhere to be seen. He looked up on seeing her and Ruby shied away from the viciously pleased look on his face. Samson definitely wasn't coming back.

"Ruby," he greeted.

"Boss." She idled across the table. Junior was a cruel man, but he owned her and Yang, which gave them both some protection from his harsher tendencies. As long as they remained useful. "Is there anything you want me to do today?"

"Few small drops." He pushed a rolled-up scroll across the table, and a small pouch of lien. "The message goes to the tannery out by the river. Get that one done first. The other is a bribe to the guard sergeant based on the west-farm tower. You know the one?"

"By the wheat farms?"

"That's it. Hundred lien. It'll keep us on good terms for the rest of the season." The pouch of lien felt heavy in her hand and she swallowed, stashing it away. That Junior would give her that much was a test of her loyalty. Not too risky of one, given that he had Yang at his side and could hunt her down with ease. "Watch him, and make sure he counts it out. If he claims there's less, you're to bring every last lien back to me and _I'll_ count it."

And if any was missing, it would be taken out of her hide. "Okay."

"If he accepts it, tell him to stamp something to bring back. I don't want him getting ideas."

"Anything after?"

"No." Junior leaned back into Miltia's embrace. "Day is yours. You'll get two lien once you come back."

Ruby nodded and slipped the coin pouch into her shirt, hidden away on the inside while her fake purse – a necessity in the slums – was stored outside, easily accessible for any thief who wanted to have a go. It was easier and safer to let them take something; at least then they'd run off and not stick a knife in you. It was weighed down with pebbles to make it feel and look full.

The outside of Vale was densely populated with farmland and was safer in some regards than living in the walls, thanks to both patrols by the guards and some kind of warding or alert system set up by the Collegium.

The world opened up and became a little brighter as Ruby slipped through the open gates, nodding briefly to two tired guards who mostly ignored her. Traffic out of the city wasn't bothered much, but it could be the opposite trying to get in. Without the towering structures of the Upper District blocking out the sun, Ruby could feel the heat of the morning on her face, and the open fields and long dirt roads were peaceful and not filled with beggars and thieves looking for an easy mark.

Many people in the slums worked in the fields when the harvest hit, with even her and Yang taking some extra work plucking crops or cutting wheat. It was cheap labour and only came about once a year, but it was regular, and they needed the coin going into winter. People competed for the chance to work on the farms through the year, but there were too many people and the farms just didn't need the hands. Most were owned by wealthy patrons in the city and rented out, either on a tithe system or just run by people working for those living in decadence.

It was the spring floods that made the farmland so profitable and ensured Vale's future. Vale was a city based on a river. Not unusual given that everyone needed a source of water, but Vale was particularly well off because of how fertile the ground was. Something about how the river would flood once a year and do something to the soil. Either wash away the bad or carry good stuff from upstream; she'd never cared to learn the exact reasons. Either way, it was a ritual to wait for the floods before planting if you wanted a good harvest. It kept Vale stocked and the farmers wealthy.

It also kept the slums downtrodden. Vale was a tiered city built not as a circle, but a weird oblong-shape that crossed over the river. The districts – or quarters – were each raised higher than the other, though. They had to be, given how the river meandered down a steep hill and Vale had been founded atop that for defensive purposes, hundreds of years before it grew out and sprawled down the hill. The flood was another reason for the tiered construction, because it kept the districts from being swamped. All except the Lower District, the slums, which was trapped at ground level. Ground level, which just so happened to be lower than the ground level of the farmland, which meant all the runoff swept back into the Slums.

Hence it was that while the farmlands benefitted from the floods each year, the Slums would be flooded, and the streets would become a bog. Disease and death would follow – never enough to become a problem to the city, but enough to be a danger for those living there – and the ground wouldn't harden again until Summer. It would have been okay if the population could have been moved out, but there just wasn't any room for it. The farmland stretched for miles out from the walls in every direction, trying to make use of the rich fertile soil, and the last attempt to expand the city beyond that had led to the city-annex of Mountain Glenn, which hadn't done so well.

_If we had two thousand lien, we could probably buy a small farmstead…_ Ruby bit her lip and shook her head. That kind of thinking was likely to get her killed. If not by an Arcanist, then by Yang. _If a deal is too good to be true, that's probably because it is. Focus on the job, Ruby._

The tannery was on the river but outside the walls for obvious reasons. Reasons that became apparent the moment she came downwind of it and swayed back, almost like she'd been struck in the face. The smell was foul. Pinching her nose, Ruby jogged up to it and looked enviously at those working with bushels of wildflowers against their noses. Some went without, and she could only imagine they'd somehow lost their sense of smell.

The foreman was a fat, balding man with a perpetually angry expression, who took one look at her and reached for an iron rod, no doubt thinking her a beggar or thief. He didn't calm down when she explained that Junior had sent her, and instead snatched the letter out of her hand, popped it open and read it.

"Hn." He grunted, putting it away. "Fine."

Ruby waited.

"What you looking at, brat? Get gone."

"T-There's no return letter?"

"I'd have pissin' given you one if there was, wouldn't I?" It had to be the smell. It would have made her angry, too. "Fuckin' dredger."

Dredger. Ruby hated the term, even if it was accurate once a year, when the districts would look down and see the slum folk rooting through pools of water looking for food and valuables, or just trying to siphon off all the run. The name had come around long before she was born and had stuck ever since.

"Stupid moneybag," she hissed with a glare and a rude gesture back. She'd have liked to get back at him in a bigger way, but Junior had a deal with them. "All that stench must have rotted their brains." And yet they were still better off than her. "Guard tower next." Ruby jogged out onto the dirt road and set off in the opposite direction of the rising sun.

The west-farm guard tower was both a tower and a barracks combined as one, with a cell block beneath that Ruby was fortunate enough to have never seen. If there was an attack into the farmland, the towers were to take in the farmers and protect them until the city could react and relieve them. That had only happened once in the last five years, and even that had been more a group of robbers running wild. Nowadays, the towers acted as lookouts and forward stops for patrols and to remind people of the law and why they shouldn't defy it.

It was imposing enough for that, squat and ugly with grey stone walls and strong wooden doors reinforced with brass. There were several guards outside, some training, and they looked at her curiously as she approached. They probably thought she was a boy come to watch, and there were a couple of farmer's children shirking their responsibilities to do just that. Some young girls too, swooning over shirtless guards obviously showing off.

Ruby didn't mind catching a glimpse or three.

What? She was a perfectly healthy young woman.

Shaking such thoughts off, she stepped up into the main building and poked her head inside, looking around for Sergeant Hannar. He was a tall and imposing man of some fifty years and she found him berating a younger boy. Ruby waited in the background while he cursed the boy out – something about sleeping in late – and sent him running with a crack of his wooden baton on the boy's thigh. The angry youth limped out to join the training and Hannar's beady eyes found her.

"Hey," she waved.

"Junior's pay again?" He waited for her to nod. "Man is punctual if nothing else. Come on then, take a seat."

Ruby scurried up to the large wooden table and sat, pushing the pouch across for the Sergeant to start rummaging through. He set coins out on the table in piles of five and began to count them. Hannar paid little attention to her, confident in his ability to deal with anything she might try, and with good reason. Those in the Slums knew better than to mess with the guards. It wasn't that they were invincible – though their training and equipment was far better than what they might have – but the fact they could call on support from across the city. If a single guard patrol in the slums faced trouble, they'd soon find several patrols combing through looking for miscreants to arrest, beat and make examples of.

"Looks to be in order," Hannar said, taking a piece of goatskin and scribbling something onto it. He'd tried to cheat her once, only to be foiled by Junior's instructions. He hadn't tried since. Hannar and Ruby both knew the reason _she_ was sent was because it didn't matter what happened to her. Yang would be furious, but if she suffered a broken arm then it was no skin off Junior's nose. "The old crook has you running errands today?"

"Two outside the walls."

"Nothing illegal I hope."

"Other than bribing you?"

"Don't get smart." He sat and cocked a smile. "How you like to earn a little extra coin? Say two lien?"

Ruby leaned back. "Depends on how, sir…"

"Don't get ahead of yourself. I prefer my girls to _look_ like girls, not skinny boys." He opened a drawer and drew out a rolled-up parchment, which he set on the table. Ruby's ability to read was limited to numbers and Slum warning signs – sigils that marked out territory, hiding spots or gang signs. The details on the sheet were beyond her comprehension. "There's been a little scuffle on the outskirts, right on the edge of the forest. Saw the smoke this morning and someone has to scout it out. Problem is, the Commeries and the West Top Farm are feuding again."

The names meant little to her but were presumably neighbours causing trouble. With how valuable the fertile land was, and how stiff the competition, it made sense they might fight over prime spots of land for crops. Or contamination between them. "You want me to scout the outskirts?"

"Not all of it. Just this one spot." He tapped his finger on a map. "It's not an hour out. Easy enough. I'd send my boys, but I need everyone on hand to crack some heads and keep the peace. "How about it? Run along, take stock of what's happened and report back to me. Two lien for two hour's work."

"The outskirts are dangerous…" Ruby said. Yang would be _livid_ if she knew Ruby had gone anywhere near them.

"Three lien, then. And I'll toss in some salted beef."

"Really!?" Ruby perked up. It may have just been field rations to them, but beef was something few in the Slums got to eat.

"Sounds like we got a deal," Hannar said with a cold laugh. He tossed over a small wrapped package, which Ruby peeled open. There were around eight long strips. Taking one, she bit off the hardened beef and munched on it. It was chewy, smoky and tough.

Still the best thing she'd eaten in days.

"Just – hm – checking. Right? Do I - mm – need to talk to anyone?"

"If there's anyone there to talk to, sure. I just need to know if there's a problem needs solvin' or if it's locals jumping at shadows again. Those on the outskirts are out of my area, but I'd enjoy an advance warning of any nonsense." Hannar leaned back and pocketed his bribe. "Payment on completion. You can take the food as insurance."

Swallowing the beef and licking her fingers clean, Ruby nodded. "Leave it to me, sir!"

/-/

Yang really would have her head if she knew Ruby was on the outskirts. It was the border between the Vale and the outside world, the point at which civilisation and security gave way to wilderness. For most cities, that was right outside the walls, but thanks to Vale's incredible farmland, the outskirts were a good mile and a half away from the city walls. On the side she was sent to that meant forest. A whole lot of forest. Forest that could be filled with anything from wild animals to bandits, to murderers and wild men.

_What Yang doesn't know won't hurt her. Or me._

Looking back to the farmland and the city, Ruby brought her hood down, touched the knife on her belt for comfort and stepped into the forest, the outskirts. It was, as Yang said, where people went when they'd given up. While land or homes in the farmlands were expensive due to the value of the soul you were building on, anyone could afford to live in the outskirts. It was just a case of walking over and building a home for yourself. You had fresh water, abundant wildlife and plenty of wild foods to forage.

It was a life far better than what they had in the Slums.

And yet the Slums were still packed full of people trying to get be, and for good reason. The outskirts weren't protected. The guards didn't patrol them, and the city didn't hold itself responsible for whatever happened to the people who ignored all warnings and chose to live out here. Ruby was never sure what kind of situation led people to choose such a life. Desperation, probably. The crippled, old or those who had just given up hope.

Ruby didn't expect to find the people she was sent to look for – and so wasn't surprised when she found the burnt-out remains of a wooden shack, timbers still smouldering faintly and wisps of smoke curling up toward the midday sun. The people were dead, then. That much was obvious. Ruby felt bad for them, but they'd chosen to live out here. They'd known what they were getting into.

"I guess that's my job done anyway. Although…"

With a furtive look in every direction, she checked the wilderness, looking for any signs of what might have done this. Since there was fire involved, it probably wasn't wild animals. There were plenty of people who made a living on _ending_ the living of others. Not everyone who came to live in the outskirts did so because they wanted to live normal lives. Some were on the run from the guards, Junior or one of the other gangs. Those kinds of people fell back on what they were good at. Murder.

_They wouldn't stick around after killing these people, though. They'd take the valuables and run._ Which meant the hovel was safe enough for now, and the smoke and fires would keep the animals away. A perfect chance for a little look of her own.

Wood and ash crunched underfoot as she crept from the trees and into the clearing, ready to bolt if she saw or heard anything. The home looked to have been a one-room thing with a sloped roof that had fallen inward. It was ramshackle and simple enough with evidence of rolled-up skins for beds on one side and what Ruby recognised was a charred body on the other, its neck bent at an unnatural angle. She swallowed and tried not to look at that or imagine what the person might think as she knelt and opened the badly burnt wooden box in the corner.

Graverobbing wasn't at the top of the list of things she liked to do, but it wasn't like this person needed his stuff anymore, while her and Yang did. Any valuables she found could be sold off through Junior, and even cloth or food was worth taking. It would just go to the wild animals otherwise. Rummaging through the rather poor scattering of cloth and broken trinkets, she was about to give up until something sparkly caught her eye. Reaching down, she pried off the hidden compartment at the bottom that had become loosened. Something must have bumped into the crate and shaken it loose. There, hidden beneath, lay a small amount of lien. The accumulated savings of the poor soul laid dead only a few feet away. Ruby carefully picked each coin out and counted them.

"Eight, nine, ten, eleven!" A grin split her face. "Eleven lien!" Almost a good week's earnings, and with another two waiting for her back at the guard tower, that made thirteen. Sure, she'd need to make up an excuse for Yang on how she'd earned it but bringing back over ten lien in a single day was huge. Ruby stashed it in her shirt and made to close the box, only to noticed something else beneath it.

There was a small silver brooch. Or it _looked_ silver. It was more likely highly burnished iron or steel, but it was an ornate shape, a long rope – or a stylised snake with no head – that wrapped in and out itself in a figure-eight shape. It looked like there might once have been to pretty stones in the sections between, but those were gone.

_Maybe a clasp for a cloak?_ She thought, turning it over. _It's a little big to be jewellery._ Almost as large as her hand. _Might as well take. Someone will know if it's worth something._ Stashing it away with the lien, Ruby closed the box and looked around the rest of the hut.

Nothing else looked to be in good enough condition to take and Ruby drew the line at touching a dead body. Besides, the raiders would have done that already. Patting herself down to get the ash off her knees, she stood and scrambled back to the entrance, excited to cut back and show Yang her winnings for the day.

As she stepped outside, a sound off to the right caught her attention. Ruby ducked low and glanced over, spotting an animal of some kind, black fur, darting between the trees. She held her breath, waiting for a wolf to come barrelling through and prepared to draw her knife, shout and sound as loud and scary as she could.

_That was way too big to be a wolf, though…_

Heart beating wildly, she scanned the treeline. Wind rustled through plants and branches bent and swayed. The occasional distant cry of a bird or sound of pecking on wood reached her, but nothing more. _Did I imagine that?_ Maybe. There was no way an animal destroyed this house and burned everything down. Killing someone outside, sure, but an animal wouldn't enter a building like this.

"I'm jumping at shadows," she whispered, still not quite confident enough to speak normally.

With her knife in hand, Ruby backed away slowly, eyes darting left and right, but careful to keep the spot she was _sure_ she had seen something at in front of her. Her legs were turned back, ready to run and, if necessary, to scale the nearest three. Nothing burst from the brush, nothing sounded or chased after her or showed its face. The second Ruby reached the trees behind the hovel, she turned and sprinted for the farmland, eyes looking back over her shoulder.

Two pinpricks of red light watched her go.

/-/

"Red eyes? You sure you didn't imagine it?"

"I- No. Well, maybe…" Ruby squirmed on the seat in Sergeant Hanner's tower.

"What you're describing is Grimm," the tall man said. "And while I won't be so crass as to say those are a fairy tale – I've seen one in person – I'll say that there hasn't been any seen around these parts for over a decade. The Collegium makes sure of that."

Her shoulders hunched and she looked down at the woodwork atop the table. "I know. M-Maybe it was light reflecting off something."

"Blood perhaps," Hannar offered, and Ruby was only too happy to take the explanation. "If what you say is true, there's plenty of reason for blood to be around. Scavengers might have been attracted to it, which would explain the animal you saw. Crows maybe, or even a small bear."

It hadn't been, she knew. She nodded anyway.

"You've done what I asked you to. I'll increase patrols on that edge of the farmlands – scare off these raiders before they think to try anything." He flicked two coins across the table, and Ruby snatched them up despite her nerves. Lien was lien. "You ought to keep mention of what you _think_ you saw to yourself. We don't need panic around these parts."

Ruby nodded again. She hadn't intended to spread it around, even assuming anyone believed her. Grimm were real; everyone knew that. But the Collegium was focused on keeping them away from the city and had done so easily. In fifteen years, Ruby had neither seen nor heard of a Grimm coming anywhere close to the city. Not as anything other than unfounded rumour or some stupid boast from a traveller. As if anyone who _saw_ a Grimm lived to tell the tale. They were demons, or so the stories said. Able to rip apart a patrol of armed men with ease.

It was the Arcanists who kept the city safe – kept all the cities safe – and fought the demons. The Collegium stood as a reminder of that. _Why would Grimm be in the outskirts anyway? And attacking some stupid little hut? It wouldn't even make sense. Not to mention they wouldn't set fire to a place._ Ruby relaxed a little, the logic taking the fear out – as it often did. There was just no way that had been a Grimm. Hannar was right; she was making it worse in her head.

"Thanks for the job today," she said, standing and bowing a little. "If you have anything else tomorrow, I might be free."

"Doubt it. Got a farm feud to deal with and patrols to plan. Tell Junior his payment has been made and that I'll catch him up for drinks when I get a chance. And you mind the east wall for the next few days," he added. "You didn't hear it from me, but there's been some troublemakers round those parts. We're upping patrols. Captain wants us to make an example and restore the rule of law."

A show of force and judicious beatings for any perceived crime. Ruby nodded and made a note to tell Yang to avoid that part of the Slums for a few weeks. "Thanks for letting me know, sir."

"Dunno what you're talking about, lass. I didn't tell you anything." He made a shooing motion. "Now get. I have guards to train and farmhands to knock back into order."

It was getting late by the time Ruby stepped out and she made her way back to the walls. While they stayed open all night, the guards on the nightshift were noticeably tenser and twice as likely to do a stop and search. They also weren't above roughing someone down for their hard-earned lien, and the streets were also more dangerous at night. Ruby wanted to get back to Junior's and stash her lien and funny jewellery away before someone decided to take it off her.

Ruby caught up with some farmworkers coming in after a day's work as she came toward the gates. They looked at her askance but decided she was a young boy, probably a farmhand, and let her be. Ruby huddled among them as they approached the gates and noticed several people on horseback. There were four or five of them, two of them obviously guards of some kind with purple cloaks and fancy breastplates. The other three wore robes with the hoods drawn up. That wasn't unusual in itself, but the robes were embroidered with gold scrolling and symbols.

"Arcanists?" one of the farmhands mumbled, giving words to Ruby's thoughts. "What are they doing down in the Slums?"

"Leaving them," another laughed. "Not even they want to be in this shithole longer than they have to be. They're just using the lower gate."

The Arcanists were talking among themselves – arguing, by the looks of it. The two Guards, who she realised must be Collegium Guards, sat silently nearby, letting the three go at it. As she passed by, she couldn't help but listen in.

"-not something to be left to amateurs or those uninitiated."

"I'm aware. That's why we're here. I'm simply saying we could use more people. At least if we enlist the local patrols we'll have more eyes. There are miles upon miles of farms out here. This will take days."

"Hence why the Grand Arcanist has given us a week. Stop complaining."

The first muttered an apology and the three slowly moved their steeds down the path, forcing a few of them to move aside so as not to be trampled. The Collegium Guards led, stern-faced and silent. Whatever task they were on was one she couldn't hope to understand, and likely one few could. Maybe they were working on the rumoured protections that kept Vale safe, or maybe it was some other esoteric and mysterious thing. Whatever the case, it obviously didn't involve the Slums. Or her.

As they passed by, a strange itching burned on the inside of her arm. Ruby winced and scratched under her shirt, then growled and dragged it back to see if she'd gotten a burr or thorn stuck under the fabric. Nothing. Nothing but the tattoo the other Arcanist had left her. It was… itching. Badly. Her hand fell to her pocket, checking for the cube, afraid someone had stolen it and that this might be the spell's way of warning her.

It was still there. It was… warm to the touch. Very warm.

The Arcanist closest to her still suddenly and looked back over his shoulder. She caught a brief glimpse of smooth skin, green eyes and one long lock of blonde hair as the Arcanist, a woman, looked down at the collection of farmhands with a critical, almost suspicious eye. Ruby tugged her hood down and kept moving, suddenly nervous.

"Glynda?" one of the others said, drawing the horses to a stop. "Is something wrong?"

"Perhaps." The woman turned her horse around and Ruby's heart skipped a beat. She moved a little faster. You didn't draw an Arcanist's attention, that was just common sense. Having already caught the eye of one, she wanted to avoid a second – especially if it was _related_ to the first.

_Just keep walking. Just keep your head down. It's probably something else._

"You there! In the hood! Halt."

The farmhands all turned. Several were wearing hoods, the weather turning cold. The guards turned too, looking toward the Arcanist. Ruby did not. The second the words passed the Arcanist's lips, she was moving. She darted past the farmhands and by the distracted guards, then cut an immediate left to break eye contact. There was a curse and a muffled yell from outside, followed by the sound of hooves. They were giving pursuit? Seriously!?

Damn it. Damn it. Damn it. What had she done?

The hooves clattered behind her, but the Slums were her element. Ruby leapt up onto a barrel and jumped higher, hooking both hands onto a wooden strut sticking out the side of a building and hauling herself up to crouch atop it. Not stopping there, she followed the beam back to the building itself and shimmied around the edge of it, ducking low behind a bend in the roof as two horses burst into the street, not the Arcanist's but the two Collegium Guards.

They brought their steeds to a stop and looked around quickly. One looked up and Ruby leaned back, surprised that they'd even thought to. Most guards didn't. With her heart in her throat, Ruby leaned over and watched as the Arcanist who had shouted after her stomped in on foot and looked around quickly. She whispered something and made a motion with her hand. A small flickering ball of light appeared, which she sent spinning to the other side of the street with a flick of her hand. People rushed to get out of the way and the light floated around, almost like it was searching for her.

That was her cue to get out, she decided. Holding her breath and staying low, Ruby crept to the back end of the building and scaled down it, jumping the last ten or so feet and landing in a crouch. Pulling her hood off, she tossed it into the nearest doorway and stepped into the crowd, blending in and disappearing.

The tattoo continued to itch. It was time to get rid of that – and fast.

/-/

"I don't know what to tell you," Mac said, stood behind his bar counter with an uncomfortable expression. He looked down on her and placed his flagon on the side. "Dark hood, silk. Sword and leather. I know who it is you're talking about, but I've not seen her since that meet you had with her."

"B-But she said she would be here for the next two nights. She told me I could come back if I wouldn't do the delivery." Ruby looked around the tavern again, hoping against all hope that her eyes, and Mac's, were deceiving them, and that the Arcanist would be there waiting for her. Nothing. The bar was filled with loud patrons from one corner to another. The Arcanist was nowhere in sight.

"That's not what she said to me."

"You spoke to her?"

"Came up to me after meeting you," he said. "Paid for another drink. I was feelin' brave – or maybe I was in my cups – and asked her if she needed to rent a room. I don't know how to say this, but…" Mac winced. "She said her business was done in Vale. Told me she would be gone before the end of the night. That was last night."

* * *

**Poor Ruby. Blake obviously subscribes to the "better to ask forgiveness than permission" school of asking for favours. A bit of worldbuilding in this one, with some of those early jobs Ruby had designed to kind of map out an idea of the city and the world they live in for you, and also give an idea of a day in the life of a messenger.**

**That was the hope anyway, though there were obviously a few Chekhov's guns thrown in there. I'd normally try to increase pacing and just drag the characters into action sooner, but I really wanted to see if the story would be improved by taking a slower approach, at least for now. **

**We'll see what everyone thinks.**

* * *

**Next Chapter: 21****st**** May**

**P a treon . com (slash) Coeur **


	3. Chapter 3

**Back once again for some Arcanum.**

* * *

**Book 1: Wildmage**

**Chapter 3**

* * *

"Hey Yang. So, I'm being hunted by the Arcanists, who have just locked down the Lower Quarter and are combing the streets. Oh, and I have some secret object they want bad enough to do that on me and I can't get rid of it because of some magical thing a mysterious and cloaked Arcanist put on me. Oh, and Junior is probably going to kick us out onto the street because he's not going to want to deal with the Arcanist's attention. Surprise!?"

Ruby stared at her reflection in a muddy puddle, shaking slightly.

"Yeah, right…"

Dashing the image with one foot, Ruby tucked her hands into her pants and stormed away, dodging through the crowds milling in confusion on one end of the dirt road, watching as a team of Arcanists along with a bevy of Collegium Guard did whatever it was they were doing. It was probably a bad idea to be so close, but they'd been moving through the slums for the past three days now, combing it from top to bottom. _Better I know what they're doing than not._

Three robes today and six guards. She wasn't sure why six were necessary, especially given that it'd take a brave person indeed to have a go at even a single Arcanist, let alone three. The guards' armour shone brilliantly in the midday sun and their tabards, a rich purple with a cloak a slightly darker shade of the same, stood out in the squalor of the lower quarter. It was probably just cotton, but purple dye was some of the most expensive there was. You couldn't buy that just anywhere.

The Arcanists were huddled around a circle drawn on the floor with chalk and whispering to one another; they were much too far away for anyone to make out the words. It looked like they were arguing, or maybe debating. Deciding on the best way to do something, and there was obviously some disagreement there. It wasn't the same three from the gate. In fact, these all looked a little younger. Twenty to thirty at best.

Eventually, they decided on a course of action and got to work doing… whatever it was they were doing. That was the moment she decided elsewhere was the place to be, especially since she knew full well they were looking for a `young boy around the age of twelve to thirteen with short black hair tipped with red`. Before they sent the Arcanists, they'd had the guards come alone. Of course, the denizens of the lower quarter closed ranks and wouldn't talk to people like that. Then they'd sent the Arcanists and suddenly no one felt comfortable.

_Twelve or thirteen. I know I'm short, but come on…_ She didn't bother correcting the `boy` part. Meals were scarce and meat even more so, and her frame had suffered for it. The height issue? Well, they'd only seen her wearing a cloak and hood. Those had all been tossed away and Ruby made sure to cake her hair with a little mud to hide the distinctive tips. Yang had never asked, too bothered with the sudden increase in danger on her and Junior's turf. They hadn't connected the dots yet, luckily for her.

Yang would never throw her out, but Junior would toss them _both_ out. He was the boss after all you didn't make it that far in the slums without knowing how to cut off loose ends. He wouldn't hand them over to the Arcanists – it wasn't worth drawing their attention, be it good or bad – but he wouldn't help them either, nor take the risk of their attention being drawn onto him. That was why she hadn't mentioned the box or the missing Arcanist. As far as Junior and Yang knew, she'd taken the box back and handed it over, cancelling the contract.

"Would if I could," she mumbled. "Idiot Ruby. Someone offloading hot goods onto a courier is, like, the first trick in the book. Should have known something was up when she offered that much lien for it. Stupid, stupid, stupid."

And she couldn't toss the thing away, either. She'd tried now that she knew the Arcanist wasn't coming back for it. Hurled it up over the walls, threw it in a pool of fetid water. Smashed it with a hammer. Nothing worked. The thing was indestructible, at least by the standards of what she could pull off, and whenever she `lost` it, she'd inevitably find it in her pocket again a few minutes later.

She'd stopped trying when the Arcanists closed the gates. People were still allowed in and out, but they were checked. No idea what for, but she imagined hair and whatever magical sense this thing gave off were top of the list. Ruby couldn't get out of the city. It was a miracle Junior hadn't noticed when giving her jobs, though she supposed _he_ didn't want to risk anyone at the gates either.

Unable to get rid of the box and unable to slip past the Arcanists, she'd turned her attention to the only thing she could – opening it.

The box was a box. Whatever was _inside_ the box was probably what the Arcanists were after, but it was the box that was stuck to her. Or so she hoped. There was nothing that proved any of that was true, but she needed some hope to hold onto. It gave her something to work towards.

/-/

Ruby growled and stabbed her knife into the table, frustration peaking as the stupid cube _thing_ sat there unharmed and with one of its faces absolutely _not_ pried off as they should be. No amount of cutting worked and there just wasn't a seam to find. Angrily, she tossed the thing out the window, barely even reacting when she felt a weight settle in her pocket a second later.

The door opened before she could pick it out and try again. Yang stepped in with a loaf of fresh bred under one arm and some cheese on top. She eyed Ruby and the table. "You realise we have to eat on that, right?"

Ruby worked the dagger out with a red face. "Sorry!"

"Long as you don't break it." Yang came in and set the goods down. The scent of warm bread mixed with rye wafted through her nostrils and her mouth suddenly felt very, very wet. "Figured we could have a treat since you brought in so much money the other day. Fresh bread and cheese. And, wait for it…" Yang pulled out a corked wooden flask "Fresh milk!"

Despite the failure and the Arcanists, Ruby's spirits soared. It was a feast by the standards of the slums and certainly compared to what they normally had. It wasn't exactly a big block of cheese, especially split between two, but it was enough for Yang and Ruby to cut off small strips and place it on chunks of bread. The taste was rich and creamy. Both the bread and the cheese were soft and gooey, which was so much better than the stale and already-hard chunks she was used to.

"Mhm. So good!"

"Yeah." Yang bit down and chewed on her own, eyes closed. "You know, I heard the people up top eat stuff like this as a snack. It's not even a meal."

"Mm. Really?"

"Yeah. It's why they get to be so fat." Yang winked and poked Ruby in the cheek. "Maybe if you ate more like this, you'd grow a little more in the chest department."

Swatting away her sister's hand, Ruby tried to scowl. It was hard with the taste of cheese and milk in her mouth however, and she laughed a second later. There was only a pint of milk between them, but she sipped slowly at it, wanting to make it last. It was cold and fresh with a rich texture; it would have been so easy to down it all.

_I wish we could eat like this more often._ It wasn't every day she could come home with over ten lien, though. Yang had initially panicked, thinking she'd stolen it from the guards, but after a quick explanation – leaving out the red eyes – Yang accepted it. They'd even shared the beef strips Sergeant Hannar gave her.

Bloated and satisfied, Ruby leaned back and let out a little burp, giggling when Yang echoed it except twice as loud. There was still some bread left – food for the morrow – but the cheese and milk were well and truly gone. "Ah." Yang picked at her teeth. "A feast fit for a noble."

"Noble lady Yang and Ruby. It sounds good."

"Yeah? I'd have thought you'd like the title `Arcanist Ruby` more." Yang said it casually but Ruby tensed, only to relax when Yang laughed it off a moment later. "I'm surprised you're not out there staring at those guys."

"Ha ha. Well, I did for a bit, but they're not doing much, you know?"

"Yeah, I know. Looking for someone, I hear. Making Junior nervous."

"Why…?" Did he suspect?

"Junior's worried they might call on him if they find out what he does. You know he deals with information – and so do a lot of people here. Only need one to get nervous and let slip and we'll have Arcanists knocking on our door."

That, Ruby decided, would be very, very bad. "Is he afraid of them?"

"Who isn't? Even if they pay, you still don't want to tangle with their sort. They're looking for someone. Young boy by the sounds of it, and they're desperate to find him. Won't say why, of course, not to scum like us."

"You _talked_ to them!?" Ruby asked.

"What? Nah!" Yang laughed. "They visited Sandra, you remember her, the baker off by the north wall?" At Yang's look, Ruby nodded. "She told me all about it while I was buying our dinner tonight. They're visiting places they think someone has to go – butchers, bakers and the like. Idiots." Yang snorted. "Like a kid down here would have the money to buy cuts of meat."

"Y-Yeah." It was worse than she expected, much worse. "What do you think they want with them?"

"Who knows? Nothing good, that's for sure. You wouldn't come in force like this if it was."

"Yeah…"

"Closing the gates, going through the streets… It's like they're hunting for a wild animal." Yang leaned forward, voice dipping to a whisper. "Wanna know what I heard?"

Honestly, no. She didn't want to know anything. But fear mixed with the need to know what she was up against forced her to lean in. "What?"

"Got it from a friend who knows someone – someone who works in the guard. Lower quarter guard, mostly just working the gates, but they hear stuff. He was asking why they need to cut off the gates, my friend said, and this guy was dumb enough to ask that to an Arcanist. Crazy thing is, the Arcanist answered. He got slapped down a moment later by an older one, or so my friend's friend says, but he gave an actual answer."

"W-What did he say?"

"Apparently…" Yang leaned in further. "They're looking for a _Wildmage_."

Ruby's stomach dropped to her knees. A Wildmage? They couldn't… They didn't mean _her_, right? She couldn't use magic. Heck, she'd tried when she was younger – like every kid did in the hopes they were special. Besides, only people from the wealthier districts got to join the Collegium. Everyone knew that. If you were an Arcanist, the very fact you _could_ use magic inevitably made you wealthier.

"If that's true, I feel sorry for the poor guy," Yang said, missing her distress. "They're destined for the Sanctum if they catch him. No one who ever gets thrown in there sees the light of day again. Fate worse than death."

The Sanctum. People talked about the Sanctum in hushed tones, but no one really knew what it was, only that it was a prison of sorts. Somewhere bad Arcanists were sent to, and a place from which none ever returned. At least with the prisons run by the city, you saw people come out after they served their time. Or they were executed if the crime was big enough. No one knew anything of what happened in the Sanctum.

There had to be a mistake. Obviously, the object she had was the thing setting them off – and maybe they thought it was her. Maybe they thought it was her using magic when it wasn't. But what would happen if she went to them with it? Would they care to listen to her, would they question how or why she had it?

What if they couldn't take it off her because of the spell on her arm? Wouldn't it be easier to just toss her in the Sanctum and call it done? Or kill her. She was just a Dredger. No one cared about them and they died all the time. What was one more? Sanctum or death. Both were pretty much the same as far as she was concerned.

_I can't go to the Arcanists. There are too many questions. I need to find the one who did this to me in the first place._ Except that she was missing and unlikely to ever come back. _Or I could take it to the person she told me to. Maybe he can remove the spell on me…_

It was a long shot. A ridiculous long shot.

"Hey Yang."

"Hm?"

"Are _all_ the gates locked and guarded?"

"Mostly the ones leading out of the city. Why? You're not thinking of going up into the merchant's quarter again, are you? If you want to see the Arcanists, there are plenty wandering around down here."

"N-No reason…"

"Hmph. Sure." Yang didn't believe her. "Just be careful, whatever you're up to. With everyone on edge down here, I wouldn't put it past the guards to be a little more violent than usual. Don't test them."

"I won't."

"Good." Yang looked her over. She'd never been good at hiding her thoughts from her sister and that didn't look to have changed. "Hey, don't let the rumours get to you. Okay? Just because the Arcanists are here doesn't mean they're going to cart off just anyone to the Sanctum. It's only for other Arcanists. Them and Wildmages." Yang touched her hand. "We'll be fine."

Ruby smiled a smile she didn't feel. "Yeah. Yeah, I know…"

/-/

Junior didn't have any work for her in the morning. He claimed it was because no one wanted to cause trouble with the Arcanists about, but she knew it was more that he didn't want to. Normally, she'd have balked at the loss of income, but they had enough from what she'd earned before to get by, and she needed to find a way up the Upper District today anyway. That alone was the kind of thing that would get most Dredgers killed or imprisoned.

_But if I don't, I'm going to be found by the Arcanists in the slums eventually. I have to get rid of this thing before they realise the young boy they're looking for is actually a girl._

Vale's districts weren't made equal; that was obvious to anyone in the lower quarter, but it continued upward as well. It wasn't overly hard to get from the lower to the merchants. The gates were guarded and watched carefully but the walls weren't. They relied on size and intimidation to keep the dredges out, but like everything in the slums, they were ill-maintained and prone to water damage. Some had been damaged so badly that tunnels had formed.

Ruby avoided those – people tended to live in them, and the guards knew where they all were by now and watched the other ends. Instead, she took to climbing the wall itself. Or not the wall, but the buildings close to it, which were a little less sheer. It wasn't hard to find a few handholds and she was light enough to get up and over. The balconies looking down into the slums were abandoned obviously. No one wanted to see them.

The merchant's quarter was a hundred times better than the lower district, but it still wasn't entirely safe. Oh, it was better obviously; there were more guards, better homes and less crime, but the it was also right next to the slums and you couldn't ignore that. Patrols stuck to the areas they needed to look after, namely the markets, banking houses and residential districts. The quieter areas off by the slums were a middle ground. It was where the poor of the merchant's quarter – who were still far wealthier than any of them down below – lived.

Sticking to the shadows and dark alleys, Ruby made her way westward, over towards and then along the river. Crossing it would be impossible. The bridges were well guarded, and the water was strong enough to carry you back down into the slums, as it did much of the waste from the upper districts. Luckily, the upper quarter was the next along and covered both sides of the river, meaning she didn't need to get across to reach the walls.

The problem was getting _through_ the walls.

People said the upper district was where the _real Vale_ began. The merchant's quarter was nice, but it was where you went to shop – full of foreigners, merchants and peddlers, which many saw to be almost as bad as Dredgers themselves. It was a middle ground given only as much attention as it needed by the guards, whereas the upper district marked the real start of civilised life.

The walls were solid and tall, watched by several towers evenly spaced out with bells set in each, ready to ring the alarm at the slightest sign of trouble. Three large gates manned both the east and west side of the river, and they were all guarded by a garrison of well-trained guards.

Not incorruptible guards, as Junior knew, but certainly by the standards of what wealth she had on her. Attempting to bribe them with the paltry amount of lien she had would get her beaten and thrown on her face if she was lucky, more likely beaten and tossed in the river. That tended to get rid of undesirables, either carrying them back down to the slums or getting rid of a body entirely.

Ruby bit her lip as she checked the third gate. It was just as well-guarded as the first two. She watched as a wooden cart rolled up to it and was stopped. Two guards moved forwards with large halberds and spoke to the driver. They then walked around to the back and removed the covering checking the supplies and even poking wrapped-up bundles of cloth with the tips of their weapons. One even looked under, making sure no one was clinging to the bottom. Satisfied, they waved the man on and stopped the next.

_Is it always this thorough, or is it just because of what's happening in the slums?_ It didn't really matter either way, since sneaking a ride on a wagon was obviously out of the picture. Sneaking through at all was going to be difficult. There just wasn't enough room to do so and the walls didn't have any buildings nearby. She was a good climber, but not _that_ good.

"There has to be some way through…"

There was a good chance Junior knew of a way. Something he wanted to keep to himself and not use lest the guards find it. He wouldn't tell her, not for something like this. She didn't have the time to check every inch of it either, and crossing the river wasn't going to work.

Unless…

Hurrying back the way she'd come, Ruby darted through the crowds, ignoring those who called out insults and running away at the smallest glance of a guard. Cutting across empty streets required looking both ways to make sure no one was watching and while the locals sneered and shied away from her, few dared to call her out. They didn't know how dangerous she might be.

The river running through Vale, known only as the River Vale, was fairly calm in the summer months. It got worse over winter and deadly in spring when the floods came, but for the few months after that it was gentler. And lower. Looking along it to the point where it passed through the walls, Ruby saw the metal bars that cut down from an arched opening where the stone had been built over the water. It wasn't a single arch, but five in total, with stone pillars reaching down into the water at intersecting points. The bars looked solid from a distance and she doubted any would have rotted entirely. The gaps were too narrow for a normal person to fit through, but she wasn't normal. Short and thin, the gaps might just be wide enough.

There were a few people further down the river washing clothing in the water or collecting buckets full. Some further down pissing into it, ignoring what that might mean for the Dredgers further down. Ruby grimaced and found a spot closer to the wall, directly under it where anyone watching from above wouldn't be able to see her.

The water was cold as she dipped a foot in. Grimacing, she fought the urge to pull it back and instead stepped in until she was submerged to her shins. The current was strong, made all the more so because of how the water was stopped by the wall and forced through the narrow culverts. It evened out a little further down but that didn't mean much for her. The current would be at its strongest exactly where she wanted to push through.

And if anyone was watching on the other side…

"Can't think of that. Be brave, Ruby. You can do this."

Yang and she knew how to swim. You couldn't live in the lower quarter and not. When the floods came, those who didn't know how inevitably learned or drowned. Swimming upstream was harder, though. Ruby waded through the river as far as she could, keeping her back to the wall and crouching low to avoid detection, at least until the water became so deep that she couldn't crouch and keep her chest above it. She shivered at the plunging temperature and ought to keep her footing as water rushed against her back and threatened to force her down and under. She was still a good three or four feet from the metal bars.

_Now or never,_ she thought, taking a few deep breaths and preparing herself. Any longer and she risked being spotted or whisked away by the current. With her final breath, Ruby sealed her lips shut and _dove_ to the side, along the wall. Her arms hit the water first, followed by her head. The current dragged her back immediately, but she kicked with both legs and held onto a rock, dragging herself through the rushing river that stung her eyes. Though hazy, she could make out the indistinct shape of the bars.

Reaching out desperately, she strained to reach one. Her fingers almost touched it.

A fresh barrage from the river struck her shoulder and knocked her back. Her legs sailed out uselessly and it was only her fingers digging into the rock that kept her in place. Eyes stinging so bad she had to close them, Ruby flailed with her free hand until she found the same rock, then scrambled for a grip. Using both hands, she pulled herself against the current. Her lungs were burning.

Just a little further. Just… She was so close! The pain was unbearable, but she forced herself on, pulling her body up and getting a foot on the rock – then lunging forward, falling _into_ the current and almost being sent somersaulting backwards.

Her hands hit metal. Wrapped around it. One arm hooked through and behind, holding her in place as she kicked up towards the surface.

"Haaaah!" she gasped, poking her head through and drawing as much air as she could.

Hanging onto the bars, her body was battered by the rushing water that came faster and faster than ever, forced through a narrow chokepoint. It splashed up into her face and mouth, making her splutter. Her body wanted to rest but she couldn't let it, all too aware that she'd become exhausted just holding on. With another breath, she dived down again.

Working one hand through the bars was easy. Working the second, then her shoulders, was harder. A part of her mind brought up the image of her stuck between the bars, caught between her shoulders and hips and held there underwater until she drowned. They'd maybe find her a week later when she began to rot, trapped between the bars. The fear galvanised her and she struggled through, all too thankful for her narrow and under-developed hips that slipped through with just a little wriggle.

The rush of water was less on the other side. Bracing her feet against the bars, Ruby was able to kick off and to the side. She was swept back against the wall, but thankfully not through the bars once more. Dragging herself along the base of the river, she was able to crawl her way to the shallows and then stand, gasping for breath as she came out exhausted and collapsed onto the bank. The soft grass cushioned her fall and she lay there in the shadows of the wall, shaking and panting with her clothing stuck to her body.

Something poked against her shoulder.

"Is it dead?"

"Hit it harder."

Ruby wanted to protest but could only yelp as a _swish_ followed by a _crack_ heralded a thin piece of wood striking her back. Her wet shirt dulled the blow slightly, but it still left a stinging line against her flesh. "Ow!" she hissed, glaring up.

There were two boys nearby. Younger than her, maybe ten or so. One of them had a long, thin stick he had used to hit her. The other was half-hidden behind him. Both were dressed in finery she could only dream of, rich purples, greens and blues with silver belt buckles, yet their trousers were covered in grass stains regardless. They were plump and ugly, though that might just have been their expressions.

"It's from below," the one hiding said. "Is it a Dredger? Mom told me they're born in rivers and left there by their mothers. Only those who can drag themselves out survive."

"Disgusting," the first said. "Does that mean this is a new born one?"

"Ew. We don't want it here. Push it back in the river."

The first used the stick against her shoulder, trying to push her back into the water. Ruby growled and fought back. Normally, she'd have had no issue, but she was tired, soaked and starving as it was. They managed to force her a few inches until she dug her feet in and scowled at them. "Piss off," she hissed, trying to sound like Yang, "Or I'll break your knees."

"Y-You can't talk to me like that!" The first brought the switch up and struck down at her. Ruby panicked and curled both hands over her head a second before it struck. The stinging lash caught the back of her neck and her hand. "I'm the first son of Melrose Ducont! Take this, and this!" He brought the stick down two more times, once on her head and the second time on the small of her back. "I'll have you flayed for your insolvence," he squealed, getting the word wrong. "I'll strip the skin from your back. I'll-"

Ruby caught the stick on the next strike and _pulled_ sharply. The boy stumbled forward and was unprepared for her to shift it to the side and jab it forward again. The end of the branch caught him firmly in the face, right between his nose and his mouth. At best, he split his lip, but the kid fell back with a stunned expression. She took the time to toss the branch away and climb onto one knee.

"Y-You hit me… You struck me!"

"I'll do more than strike you," she wheezed, water dripping from her hair and clothes. Her back stung and she thought there might have been some blood. "I'll beat you black and blue."

"It's a barbarian!" the second whispered, tears in his eyes. She wasn't sure why seeing as she hadn't even hit him.

Yet.

"Ah-ah…" The boys burst into tears and scrambled to their feet, running away screaming about telling their father and how she would regret it. Ruby watched them go and slumped against the wall, using it to rest on as she wrung her top out, pouring water onto the grass.

_Got to keep moving,_ she thought dully, wanting nothing more than to take a break. _Guards will have heard something, assuming they don't run straight to them._ And she was in the upper district, of course. If her clothing didn't give her away, the fact she was soaked certainly did. Ruby checked her pocket and was unsurprised to find the cube still there. It probably slipped out when she'd been pushing through the bars, but it would have come back.

The longer she spent, the more risk there was of being caught. This wasn't like the merchant's quarter, either. There were less people to blend in with and guards all over the place. To the north, above the walls, she could even see the spires of the Arcane Collegium. Before, it had always stood as a place of wonder. Now, it cast a looming shadow.

Inside, the Sanctum stood.

"I'm not going there," she hissed, trudging on. "I'm not."

/-/

Even if she wanted to be gone as soon as possible, it took over three hours to find Vincent's Antiques and Curiosities. The biggest problem was that she couldn't read. The smaller problem was that she had no idea where anything would be, having never been to the upper district before, or ever having seen it. If the merchant's quarter looked like the place where the rich lived, this looked like a home for royalty. The houses were wide and spaced far apart with few touching one another and each having a space around and to the front where people would grow flowers, ostensibly for no other reason than because they looked nice.

The waste of space was staggering. They could have grown crops in those spaces to feed a family, but they wasted them on brightly coloured plants and stone ornaments or wooden chairs. They did make for cover for her and places to hide and catch a break, but they were otherwise useless.

The worst part was that the upper district wasn't even where the noble families lived. Those were beyond, past even the Collegium and in what was termed, quite aptly, the Noble's Quarter. Above that was the Royal Palace itself. Those in the Upper District were what she'd heard guards call `the gentry`. Most in the slums just called them moneybags.

Finding Vincent's had in the end required a little bit of risk, calling out from the shadows to passers-by in the hopes someone would answer. Most looked her way and hurried on. Some threatened to call the guards. Most ignored her and turned their noses up.

One answered without looking, "Off down the street and to the left. Can't miss it. Place with the big sign shaped like a compass." The man had begun to turn to face her, eyes narrowing as he realised he was talking to a girl hiding behind a bush.

"Thanks." Ruby darted away before he could do anything.

Sign like a compass. That, she could work with. She'd never had one, but Junior did, along with a map on his wall. It would either be a four-spoked wheel or a circle with a few pointers in it. If nothing else, she understood her north, east, souths and wests. It was a lucky break.

Reaching the end of the cobbled street, Ruby peeked out from cover. It wasn't busy – nowhere in the upper district was, they had so much space – but there were guards walking towards her from the left. Ruby hunkered down between a fancy looking home and a tree and waited for them to go by, chatting between themselves. Once they had, she waited longer, letting a few minutes pass and then looked again.

All clear. Ruby dashed across the street.

She spotted the sign off to the side – on the left, as promised. The sign had a bunch of characters she didn't recognise but assumed was `Vincent` or `Antiques` and there was a four-pointed star beside it, the top-most one taller than the others to represent north. Ruby clung to the backs of the buildings, which flanked the walls, and made her way to behind what must have been the shop itself. It was far too big to just be that, so she assumed it was Vincent's home as well.

_I can't break in. I need him to take this stupid spell off me._ Biting and teasing her lip, Ruby hesitated behind his store for what must have been ten minutes. Plans to sneak in and find him were discarded immediately out of fear he'd feel threatened. Leaving a message was no use if he couldn't read her street signs and waiting until night would be risky when the guards came to light the torches. They might notice her. If nothing else, Yang would notice her absence. Checking one last time to make sure she was clear, Ruby took the plunge and walked in the front door.

A bell above it tinkled lightly as she pushed the wooden door open and stepped onto a fancy floor of a much darker wood, polished until it was shiny. A wave of wood polish, dust and leather assaulted her nostrils, followed by warm light from several torches set up on either side of the entrance and hanging from wall sconces. There were numerous cabinets and counters leading off from the main room with a counter at the back, a man behind it with his back to her, probably Vincent.

The sound of clinking metal and a hiss of steel came from her left. Panicking, Ruby ducked right, spinning in time to see an armed man with a mail vest looking at her with beady eyes, sword half-drawn in warning.

"You shouldn't be here," he said.

"I -I -" Ruby fell back on what she was used to. "I've been sent with a message for Master Vincent!"

The guard hesitated just long enough for the man in question to turn. "A message?" He was middle-aged, younger than Ruby expected, with a neatly trimmed moustache and goatee, and a small pair of glass spectacles balanced on his nose. "I have not been expecting a missive. From who, boy? Speak or I shall have Desmond throw you out on your behind. Your kind are not welcome here."

Her kind. Ruby didn't challenge him. "It's more a delivery," she said, watching his eyes widen as he heard her clearly feminine voice. "I was told to bring it to you and that you wanted it. That you'd take it off my hands."

"Really now? Hardly the first time someone has sent a prospective seller to me. I warn you, bo- girl, I have an eye for antiques. I will not be fooled by any old bauble." He tapped the counter before him, though he didn't move closer to her. The guard, Desmond, followed behind, his bootsteps echoing on the wood. "Place it here and let me see."

Ruby drew the wooden cube out and put it down on the side.

"That's it?" Vincent asked. "A box?"

"I-It's more than a box." Ruby paused. "I think. It was given to me by an Arcanist and they said you'd want it. They said you'd _pay_ for it." At this point, she'd be fine with him just taking it. "I don't know how to open it, but-"

"An _arcane device_?" Vincent recoiled. "Are you mad-? I cannot- No one can _sell_ arcane devices. To even do so would be to court the attention of the Collegium." His eyes narrowed. "Where did you find this? How?"

"I just said! An Arcanist gave it to me to give to you."

"Lies. No Arcanist would trust a _Dredger_ with something like this. You stole it. Didn't you?"

"No!"

"Desmond."

A hand settled on her shoulder and gripped down. Another caught her hip, gloved hand closing over her knife before she could think to draw it. Ruby twisted to try and break free, but his grip was solid. He stepped into her, pinning her against the counter. Ruby's heart hammered in her chest.

"N-No, it's fine," she said. "I'll go. Just let me go!"

"Keep hold of her," Vincent said. "Something like this, the guard need to know."

"You can keep the stupid box!" Ruby shrieked, all too aware that it would come back to her regardless. "Just keep it and give it to them. I don't want it; I never wanted it. I'll be no trouble, sir, I promise. Just let me go!"

"Dealing in arcane goods, and right under the nose of the Collegium. They'll have to be told. Damn it, but they'll want to search my store. Keep hold of the girl, Desmond. The Arcanists will want to speak with her, maybe beat some answers out of her or whatever it is they do to those that steal from them."

Arcanist-? Here?

Sanctum, Sanctum, Sanctum. Ruby's breath came out in short gasps, eyes bulging and darting from left to right. She pulled and pushed on the man behind her, but he wouldn't budge. Attempting to stamp on his foot earned only a grunt and a solid _knee_ to her kidneys.

"Fucking Dredger," he grunted. "Sit still."

They were going to arrest her. They were going to lock her up, interrogate her – hurt her and then throw her away in the Sanctum where no one would ever hear from her again, least of all Yang. Terror welled up inside her and she felt something snap. Heady whiteness rushed through her head and blood poured from her nose as she drove an elbow back into the man's crotch, twisted when he backed away with a grunt and a snarl, then pushed one hand out towards his chest.

"NO!"

Bright light flashed. Something _poured_ from her hand and slammed into the man, catching him in the chest and lifting him up with so much force that he flew back and over a display unit and came crashing down against the back wall, knocking down a suit of antique armour and breaking several cases of glass. He slumped at the base, blood dripping down his skull.

Ruby stared at her hand, small wisps of smoke coiling between her fingers.

"Did I-?"

Vincent stumbled back, tripping over something behind his counter and crashing into the back wall, arms spread along it as if he were looking for any possible escape. His eyes were wide and white, the irises barely visible.

"N-No," Ruby said, holding a hand out. "It's not what you think. I just… I… It just happened!"

"Wildmage…"

"No!" Tears stung at her eyes. "I'm not!"

"Wildmage," he said again, this time a whisper. He slid toward a door. Ruby lunged to stop him, but he was out before she could scale the counter, out and screaming at the top of his lungs, "Wildmage! Sound the bells! Summon the guards! Wildmage! Wildmage!"

Ruby's shoulder crashed into the door and out, past the downed guard. The door exploded outwards and she found herself before the faces of numerous people, all of whom had been looking toward the building after Vincent's panicked escape. Her eyes met theirs, wisps of smoke still pooling from between her fingers.

In the distance, in the Arcane Collegium, a grand bell began to toll.

Ruby ran.

* * *

**Wildmage? Or Vague-mage, amirite? Yes, I'm being very vague on what a Wildmage is or what it means or why people are like this, etc. Ruby kind of already knows a little, so it would be unreasonable for her to just `tell` the audience. We'll get some more explanation soon enough.**

**Ruby doesn't know everything of course, but she knows the barebones definition. **

* * *

**Next Chapter: 4****th**** June**

**P a treon . com (slash) Coeur **


	4. Chapter 4

**Here we go. **

**It should be noted that the increased level of swearing from Ruby and Yang in this story is intentional. It is to hint at a rougher lifestyle from both and looser rules, having no parents and growing up around criminals, and often facing derogatory terms and prejudice from those above them. I know it's OoC from canon, as some people have pointed out, but that's kind of the point of me writing them swearing. They are supposed to sound very **_**rough**_** and earthy compared to later characters who will have much posher lifestyles and who would never be so crass.**

* * *

**Book 1: Wildmage**

**Chapter 4**

* * *

Ruby's feet pounded on the ground and her breath came out in harsh pants. She cut across a cobbled street and between two large mansions, then watched as an attachment of guards came sprinting past, weapons at the ready. They continued toward the main gate, which she could see in the distance had been drawn shut, locking her and them inside.

A groaning from the opposite direction caught her ear and she looked back toward the pristine white walls surrounding the Arcane Collegium. Huge wooden gates were being drawn open, wider than they had been before. With the bell tolling in the background, a procession of some _twenty_ robed figures marched out, flanked and guarded by proud soldiers wearing crimson tabards and cloaks, each of which rode on horseback.

_Twenty Arcanists and as many guards for me?_ Ruby thought hysterically, ducking back into the gap between the buildings. _That's ridiculous!_

Moving along and in the opposite direction, she peeked out around the back of the house and ran across the lavish gardens, hopping over a low stone wall and into a collection of flowering bushes on the other side. Their thorns bit and scratched at her as she pushed through, but they at least covered her escape.

The Arcanists would have to split up to try and find her – unless they had some way of tracking her, that was. The Upper Quarter wasn't exactly a small place, and even if more Arcanists were coming out the other gates along the wall, it would take time to comb the streets. Though maybe they had time. The guards had been heading for the main gate. They were probably all sealed and guarded now. Once the district was locked down, they could find her at their leisure.

The river. It was what got her into this mess, and it would get her out. Breaking free from the brambles, Ruby crept toward the shadow of the wall connecting the Upper and Merchant Quarters. There were guards atop it now, each of them looking inward for once. They couldn't see her right at the base. However, no houses were built up against the wall, so she'd be out in the open. It would be faster going, though. Easier to reach the river if she wasn't hopping fences and fighting through gardens and streets full of guards.

Time wasn't on her side. Ruby broke from her relative cover and sprinted to the wall, trusting more in luck to get her there unseen than anything else. She couldn't hear if the guards above had seen her or not, but she didn't chance it and ran along the wall itself, keeping one hand on it and sticking to the shadows.

Maybe magic could get her out?

No. Magic was what got her in this spot in the first place. Ruby looked down at her other hand and flexed her fingers. It didn't feel any different from how it had before and there were no marks or lingering signs of… whatever she'd done to that guard. No feeling of power, either. No lingering traces of what she imagined `arcane energy` might feel like.

"Less dawdling, more running," she chided, shaking her head and hurrying on. "You can figure this out later, Ruby. Escape for now."

The bell was still tolling from the Collegium and she heard another gate open somewhere to the west, on the other side of the river. Above, someone shouted out a warning. They'd seen her. Ruby swore and sprinted as fast as her legs could take her, breaking cover and any attempt at staying hidden. The river was just ahead. From there, she could let it take her back down to the lower quarter and to Yang. They could hide or flee. Or-

"_Bindings of light restrain my foe!"_

A flash of light from the right blinded Ruby a second before something coiled around her legs, locking her knees together and making her trip. Her face slammed down onto the grass and she rolled onto her side, staring down at what appeared to be thin bands of string made of pure and glimmering yellow light coiled and wrapped around her legs, all the way from her feet to her waist. Ruby struggled against them but even if they flexed, they wouldn't break.

"Desist, Wildmage," a pompous voice commanded. A portly man approached, multiple chins jostling as he waddled on two legs that seemed too small for him. He wore the robes of an Arcanist and had a red mantle, or half cloak, that fell over one shoulder, coming down the front _and_ back of his robes to around the length of his elbow. Connecting that red mantle at the front, an ornate broach was clipped, made of silver or iron with a single red gem beaming from it.

"You have been captured by the proud scion of the Du'Monte household. You should have known better than to trespass in this hallowed district."

Through her hysterical fear, Ruby almost wanted to laugh. Was this guy for real? He sounded like one of those joke nobles the storytellers would play, one of those designed to mock the nobility. It would have been a whole lot funnier if he was acting it too, but Ruby couldn't move her legs. She desperately used her arms to drag her along. If she could get in the water and away, the spell might wear off in time. Maybe. Hopefully.

"He isn't listening, sir," the Arcanist's companion, another of the guards in red, said.

"I can see that. Knock the monster out. It would be easier to transport him to the Sanctum if he wasn't fighting us every step of the way."

The Sanctum. Ruby's heart raced and her eyes bulged. She began to thrash on the grass, slithering like a worm towards the water with tears pouring from her eyes. Not the Sanctum. Not that. Not when Yang would never know.

"Aye, sir." The guard drew out a long and thin wooden stick, more a cane than a club, and stepped towards her. He looked bored and irritated to have been dragged out for such a menial task. "Stay still, boy," he spat. "If you struggle, it'll just make it harder for me to land a solid blow. Don't make this any worse on yourself than it already is."

No. No, no, no. Ruby spun onto her back and used both feet, still tied, to push herself along the grass away from the approaching man. Even with that cane, a few solid hits to the head would put her out. He didn't seem bothered at all by the thought of beating her.

_I need to escape. Need to get away. Need these ropes gone!_ Ruby gripped at them with both hands and tugged, but they were as hard as iron. _Cut them_, she thought, trying to reach her knife. _Maybe I can cut-_

The light rope in her hand was severed suddenly, sliced through the middle.

Her knife was still on her belt.

The only thing touching the rope had been her hand.

"Quickly!" the Arcanist yelped. "Subdue her breaks my binding!"

Break-? Of course. Magic! The Guard rushed in, whipping his cane back. With no other options, Ruby stabbed her hand out towards him and tried to remember what she'd done to the guard in Vincent's shop.

_Crack!_

"Ahhhh!"

Ruby screamed at the top of her lungs as the cane bit home, striking not against her skull but the palm of her hand. Blood splashed and tears bit at her eyes. It hadn't worked. The magic failed. It hadn't come at all. Ruby's hand was drawn back instinctively to her chest and the guard lashed in again, this time aiming for her face.

She fell to the side, dodging it by a hair's breadth.

Why hadn't it worked? Why hadn't she been able to send him flying back? Ruby gritted her teeth and rolled over to face the man again, just as he brought the cane whistling down. Flat on her back, there was no chance of escaping. Just a one wat trip to the Sanctum, where she would never see her sister again. Yang would never even know what happened to her.

It wasn't fair. None of this was fair. With tears pouring down her cheeks, Ruby threw her bleeding hand out toward him and screamed, "NO!"

The cane went flying. The guard recoiled, stumbling back as his arm was blasted upward by some sudden pressure, knocking him back. Ruby's hand steamed and, still flush with the power of it, she thrust it towards his chest and snarled.

"Back!"

He was launched off his feet. Much faster than the one in the shop, he was hit by `something` centre mass and sent crashing into and through a wooden fence. The Arcanist recoiled, but Ruby, fuelled by fear, quickly grabbed the ropes of light and began to tug at them, whispering the word `cut` continuously.

Not every word prompted a response, but some did. The ropes frayed and were torn asunder, and much like real rope, once she had some of it done, the rest began to loosen and fall slack, allowing her to drag her feet out.

"_Bindings of light restrain my foe!"_

This time, she was ready and dove to the side, rolling out the way of several coils of yellow that hurtled towards her previous position. While she had her power, she didn't trust it enough to try and stop those with it. Instead, she thrust out her hand toward him and yelled, "Back!"

Ruby _saw_ what happened this time. It was like a balloon of air rushing out of her hand and toward the Arcanist, growling larger and larger as it went. It must have struck the guard's arm first, disarming him, then his chest on the second.

"Fool!" the Arcanist spat, slashing a hand before him. The wave was met by one of his own cancelling it out. "Do you seek to challenge the scion of the Du'Monte family in the arcane arts? We have been proud Arcanists for generations an-"

Her shoulder slammed into the man's not inconsiderable gut. Despite the differences in their weight and height, he went down, falling like a tree with a startled cry. He cushioned her fall and she straddled his hips, gripping her knife in one hand and glaring down on him.

The Arcanist looked terrified.

"_B-Bindings of light_-"

The pommel of her knife slammed into his jaw. There was a satisfying crack as something broke, either his jaw or his teeth. Ruby brought the knife up again, ready to hit his temple, but the fat man lay still. He'd passed out from just that.

"Ugh." The guard groaned and placed a hand down, bringing the other to cup his head.

"By the river!" someone yelled. "I sensed magic!"

That was her cue. With the Arcanist out and unable to stop her and the guard recovering, Ruby scrambled to her feet and sprinted toward the wall, getting as close as she could to the culvert before looking back. Robed figures were approaching, several pointing towards her and one raising a hand in the air. A bright red trail of light shot up, signalling their position. Ten or more guards in gleaming armour and red capes rushed towards her.

Ruby dove into the river.

/-/

"Lord Arcanist."

The white-haired man did not turn from the windows he stared out of. "Headmaster Lionheart," he returned respectfully. "Has the disturbance been dealt with?"

"I'm afraid not. The suspect escaped."

The Lord Arcanist hummed.

"Lord William Du'Monte faced the suspect, referring to him as a young boy – ragged complexion and wiry-thin. Likely from the lower quarter and almost certainly the one Glynda sensed several days past." The headmaster hesitated for a moment. "Du'Monte challenged the Arcanist to combat and was bested. He has suffered a broken jaw and some minor damage. The healers have already set and treated it."

The Lord Arcanist turned at that. His brows drew down over a small pair of round glass spectacles. "Du'Monte is an apprentice-level Arcanist at best. His tenure of study is no more than two and a half years. Why was _he_ the first to locate the suspect?"

"He claims he was visiting family, sir. A coincidence."

"Your thoughts, Leonardo?"

"Seeking glory," the large faunus grunted. "Unless the young scion believes he needs a Collegium guard to threaten his younger sister, I believe he sought the suspect out himself, hoping to subdue him and make a name for himself. Like so many in his position, he over-relied on the arcane arts. He was subdued by the assailant in melee and beaten unconscious."

"Troublesome." The Lord Arcanist sighed. "This is why we have Collegium guards. He should not have engaged the suspect directly. Did the young lord provide us any useful information? Or has this been a waste of everyone's time?"

"Lord Arcanist, Ozpin…" Leonardo bit his lip. "Du'Monte managed to confirm it. The boy _is_ a Wildmage."

Ozpin's eyes closed. A heavy sigh slipped from his lips and he seemed to age ten years in a moment. "I see." He poured himself a drink and sipped at it. "This is certain? It could not be a rogue Arcanist from either our Collegium or another?"

"All Arcanists have been accounted for by the Scriptorium. It was one of the first things I ordered. None matching the description have been missing by us, nor by the other Collegiums. Though… the Arcane Collegium of Menagerie fell when the island did. It is possible, I suppose, that this one comes from there."

"But you believe it unlikely, Leonardo. Why?"

"Du'Monte's report, Ozpin. Whilst I hardly trust the boy to be impartial, our guard reported that he struck at the Wildmage and wounded it, and that the Wildmage only responded with a spell after – _Wind Blast_, I believe. From the description. According to the guard, the Wildmage appeared as surprised as he was."

"I see." Ozpin put his cup down. "Not a qualified Arcanist, then. This is troubling. There has not been a Wildmage free in the city for twenty years."

"The people don't yet know there is, sir. We've had Arcanists in the last three years without raising any fuss. They were collected easily enough and moved to the Sanctum. We can do the same here. The people need not fear or be led into a panic."

"We have armed guards and Arcanists traipsing around the city, Leonardo."

Leonardo snorted. "With all due respect, Ozpin, that's in the lower quarter."

"People still talk. They are not as foolish as you seem to think they are. We also have someone running around here screaming about Wildmages."

"Already handled. I had Vincent and his guard from the local antiques store brought into the Collegium. His silence was bought with a little coin and a promise to station an Arcanist at his store until the matter is dealt with." Leonardo waved a hand. "In case the Wildmage comes back, apparently."

"They would be a fool to. Either way, good work. This Wildmage must be found quickly, however. We cannot take the risk…"

"I understand. With your permission, Ozpin, I'd like to enact scrying rituals around the walls of the lower quarter. If needs be, we will catch the boy when he next uses his abilities."

"You think that he will?"

"There has never been a Wildmage who could resist the temptation. As far as I'm concerned, it's only a matter of time."

"Very well." Ozpin nodded. "But delegate the matter to Glynda. The new year begins in a few months, and you have a school to run. We have several key students and I do not want their integration into the Collegium disrupted."

"Of course." Leonardo bowed. "It will be done." He made to leave.

"Oh, and Leonardo?" Ozpin waited for the headmaster to turn back. "See that the Du'Monte boy is punished. He should have raised the alarm the moment he saw the Wildmage. I want him running drills with the Collegium Guards for a week. No magic to assist him. If he wishes to engage his foes in melee, he will learn to do so properly."

Leonardo winced. "His family will not like that, sir. They are quite influential."

"All the better. This will remind him, and them, that the Collegium stands above such petty squabbles. Du'Monte's loyalty is to the Collegium first, Vale second, and only then to his family. If he refuses his punishment, tell the Captain of the Guard to treat him as he would an unruly guard."

Flogging. Leonardo stiffened but then nodded.

"It will be done. There is one more thing, sir."

"Yes?"

"Despite all descriptions, the guard who struck the Wildmage said that the boy screamed like a girl."

"I see. Alert Glynda. Widen the net. It is imperative the Wildmage be brought to justice as quickly as possible. We _cannot_ allow one of them to run free. Glynda may take whatever resources she sees fit."

"We could empty the slums and sift through them one by one."

"That level of disruption would turn the people against the Collegium. It would be seen as an abuse of our power.

"On the dredgers, Ozpin. No one would care."

Ozpin sighed. "It is to be a _last resort_. Am I understood? Only when all other options are used shall I countenance such actions. Dredgers though they may be, they are still a part of our city. It is the Collegium's duty to _serve_ the city. Not to lord over it."

"Yes, Lord Arcanist."

/-/

"A Wildmage…" Yang whispered the word angrily, afraid to raise her voice lest Junior or one of the twins overhear. That didn't stop her pacing around the small room. She paused by the window and looked outside, then dragged the ratty wooden shutters closed and turned back to Ruby. "I can't believe this. You're a Wildmage? You!?"

Ruby shrunk in on herself, still clutching her wounded hand to her chest. The bleeding had stopped but the mashed poultice of herbs Yang had smeared into the wound still burned. It was necessary after swimming in the river, especially when it swept her down to the lower quarter and became muddy and polluted with waste.

"I guess?"

"You guess?" Yang stared at her. "Oh great. You guess. That's wonderful, Ruby. You _guess_ you might be a Wildmage. Fucking wonderful."

"A-Alright, I am," she said, bowing under the pressure of Yang's temper. "I didn't know," she promised. "It – It just happened. And they were going to arrest me. In the Upper Quarter! I'd have been thrown in a cell or killed!"

"And what were you doing in the Upper Quarter in the first place?"

"Erk."

"You were delivering that fucking message, weren't you? The one from the Arcanist. The one Junior _specifically_ told you not to!"

"I thought it would help us," Ruby cried. "Two thousand lien!"

"Yeah, and a fat lot of help this is." Yang stormed past the table, leaving her to pull her knees up shamefacedly. "Arcanists on the streets and guards up in arms. And after you. After us," Yang amended, checking and opening the door, then closing it when she was sure no one might be listening in. "Fuck, Ruby. You couldn't have stirred the ants up any more than this. Could you? What are we gonna do? Junior will kick us out."

"Only if he finds out," she mumbled.

"And why won't he? They saw your face."

"They think I'm a boy."

Yang stared at her, confused for a moment, and then looked down over Ruby's malnourished body. There were curves there if you really looked, but her baggy blouse and trousers hardly helped show them off. Muddy and with short hair, she really did look a boy to anyone who didn't get too close.

"That's why they were looking for a boy before, wasn't it? You're lucky no one caught on."

"I'll just not use magic!" Ruby blurted out. "They won't know if I keep it secret."

"Damn right you won't use it!"

Ruby shrunk back again.

"Magic." Yang tossed her head, golden hair flying about angrily. "What good has it done for us? Those up there might prance about and make it look important but it's a noble's tool, Ruby. It's used to show off power. The Collegium doesn't do _shit_ for people like us. When was the last time you saw Arcanists down here _not_ doing something for their own ends?"

Never. Before last week when they'd started looking for her, the only time an Arcanist visited the slums was when they were travelling through it to the gate. Even then, they'd usually leave through a different gate and go around. No one came to the slums by choice.

"We can stay hidden," Yang said, ignoring Ruby entirely. "They can't check every single person. Maybe get you more food, too. Fill you out a bit. It'll be expensive but if we give up on some other stuff, we can manage it. Grow your hair long. Hide." She swallowed. "If needs be, we can go live on the outskirts."

"No! That's too dangerous. We'll be killed."

"You think we won't be here?" Yang hissed. "You're a Wildmage, Ruby. A Wildmage. And I'm helping you. They're not going to smile down on that. I'll be tossed in a cell – or just flat-out executed – and you'll be thrown in the Sanctum."

"Why are they so afraid of Wildmages anyway?" Ruby asked. "No one ever says."

"No clue. I just know they're bad news." Yang paused as she realised who she'd said that to. "Not that _you're_ bad news," she quickly added. "Just. Shit, you know, it's what they say. Not like the Arcanists are gonna come down and explain their reasons to us, is it?"

Ruby's legs swung under the table. No one really knew much about what went on in the Collegium; they wore mystery like a cloak. The only thing she knew was that the Arcanists trained and studied there, and that the Sanctum was where bad Arcanists and Wildmages went.

"We'll keep our heads down," Yang decided. "You're not running jobs for Junior for a couple of days. I'll tell him you caught an infection. Try to look sick."

"W-What about that?" Ruby nodded to the cube box on the table.

Yang snarled. "Chuck it."

"I can't. I told you how it works. It always comes back."

"Then don't mess with it. Just let it stay where it wants and don't do anything. You don't play with things you don't understand, especially not if they're Arcanist things." Yang grimaced and took a step back herself, watching it cautiously. "This has to blow over at some point. What are they going to do? Camp in the slums until the spring floods? Give it a week and this will have all blown over."

/-/

Two months had passed and the Arcanists were building bell towers along the walls of the lower quarter. Ruby watched one of them from the window, face pale and body trembling slightly. Swallowing, she closed the shutters and stepped back into the room, wiping her hands over her face to wash away some sweat and sitting on the edge of her bed.

The slums were nervous.

It was hard not to be when Arcanists and Collegium Guards patrolled the streets in tightly packed units of six to ten, armour and cloaks immaculate and hands on their weapons at all times. People were stopped and searched, while inns and taverns were watched, and the gates were all guarded by a rotating shift at any time of day. Several known breaches in the walls had been sealed and blocked shut, and there were rumours of groups of Arcanists sitting in circles casting strange and mysterious spells.

Two whole months, and contrary to Yang's words, they'd only grown more persistent.

Her sister was asleep in the other bed, curled up onto her side and snoring lightly. The day's work had been hard on her, harder still because of how little work Ruby was taking. Junior was suspicious. After so long, he had a right to be. But Ruby _looked_ sick enough that he couldn't argue with the excuse. And to be honest, she felt it.

The sweat and the shakes weren't put on. The way her hands trembled was all her. Yesterday, she'd dropped her food while trying to eat it, spilling the stale bread onto the floor while her fingers twitched and closed of their own afford.

Tonight, she couldn't sleep. There was a burning inside her. A roiling, swirling heat that tore through her chest to her stomach, then to her heart, shoulders and across her body. Ruby gritted her teeth and bit back a whine, clinging to her shoulders as she vibrated on the bed. Tears pricked at her eyes.

Her magic wanted to come out.

Ruby wasn't sure _how_ she knew, only that she did instinctively. Every few seconds, her eyes would be drawn to the wooden cube that sat on the bedside table. It never moved, opened or did anything unusual and she never felt anything from it, but it drew her eyes even so, tempting her. Her fingers itched to hold and play with it. Snatching it off the side, she cradled it against her chest.

It didn't make her feel any better. It was just wood. Nothing more.

Sitting up again, sleep felt impossible, Ruby crossed her legs and took several deep breaths, trying to ride out the sickening pain. It wasn't agony – not like being beaten. It was more like sickness mixed with hunger, the kind of horrible feeling where you were hungry but threw up anything you ate, an affliction with no cure or easy way out other than to accept how much it hurt and push through it.

_Maybe a little magic wouldn't hurt._

Ruby's hands were cupped before her already, eyes lidded and lips parted.

_No!_ Snapping out of it, she dashed her hands as if they were in water and pulled back, panting and looking to Yang. Still asleep; she hadn't woken up. _What am I thinking? I can't use magic. I promised. I'm not going to be a Wildmage._

Whatever a Wildmage was supposed to be. Two months of asking around had yielded no information, just rumours and tall stories. Wildmages were creatures of the Grimm taken human form. Wildmages were monsters. Wildmages were responsible for the floods. Wildmages caused crops to go bad and winters to be longer. Wildmages all deserved to be in the Sanctum so that the good people of Vale could stay safe.

No details of _what_ a Wildmage could do, why they deserved the Sanctum or even the names of any previous Wildmages. The last one had apparently been before they were born, and no one remembered his or her name. They just called them `the Wildmage`. Apparently, they'd fought against the Collegium, but it hadn't been a war. Just one person fighting against them, outnumbered and eventually defeated and captured.

Just like her.

"Ruby…?" Yang mumbled and sat up, yawning. She must have made a sound when she'd panicked. "What's wrong?" Yang leaned over and peered at her through the gloom. There wasn't much light to work with, but it would have taken a while to light a candle. "You look _awful_," Yang whispered. "Is it your hand? Is it infected?"

"N-No." Ruby whimpered and scrunched her eyes shut. "It… It's the magic."

Yang's eyes hardened. "Ruby."

"I'm not lying!" she hissed, shaking physically. "It – It's trying to come out. It _needs_ to come out. It hurts, Yang. It hurts so bad."

"Shit." Something in her tone, or just the way she looked, convinced Yang that she was telling the truth. Her sister swung her legs out of bed and padded over, pressing a hand to Ruby's head then pulling it away. "You're burning up. You sure you're not imaging it? You could just be sick."

"No. I know. I don't know how, but I know."

"Is magic addictive?" Yang wondered out loud. "Not like they'd admit it if it was, or we'd know. Shit, that's not good. Would you get better if you used some?" she asked. "Are you sure you can't get away with not using it?"

"I've _tried_, Yang. I've tried for two months. I – I need to do something or I'm going to go crazy."

"I don't like this, Ruby."

Ruby stared back, doing nothing to hide how much her body ached. If she didn't do this now, there was a good chance it was going to happen on its own. Just come out without her being able to do anything about it. She gritted the words out, warning Yang that she either got it out, or it came out. One or the other.

"Shit." Yang swore again. "Alright. Let's do this. Middle of the night is as good a time as any." She rubbed her arms nervously and moved over to the door, checking it. When it was clear, she came back and sat on Ruby's bed with her. "I'd have suggested we go do this in the woods outside the city, but we'd never get past the gates. Not with you acting like this. I bet they knew this would happen; they're probably looking out for people that look sick."

It was all to possible. The Collegium had an iron hold on information regarding Arcanists, and they must have known all the signs to look out for. Nodding, Ruby crossed her legs and cupped her hands before her, palms upward.

"How is this gonna work?" Yang asked.

"I – I don't know." Ruby's voice came out a breezy whisper. Almost needy. "It was never like what the Arcanist did. He had to say something to cast his spells. I just sorta did it. I don't think it matters; it's pushing so hard it's going to come out anyway." She cracked an eye open. "You might not want to be right next to me."

Yang scuttled back and jogged to the far end of the room, needing no more invitation to be anywhere other than where magic was going on. While Yang wasn't exactly afraid of Arcanists – she disliked them more than anything – there was something to be said for someone using magic who had no idea what they were doing. "Try and keep it small," Yang pleaded. "Something that _won't_ get us kicked out."

Nodding excitedly, Ruby closed her eyes and let go.

That was all it took. It rushed out of her in an instant, draining from her hands like water picked up from the river.

Yang gasped.

Opening her eyes, Ruby looked down at the bright blue ball that floated inches above her palms. It was perfectly round and hovered in the air, giving off a pale glow that illuminated the room, her face and Yang's.

The relief – oh, the relief – was smothering.

It was like needing the toilet and holding it in for _two months_, then finally being able to go. Tension drained out of her muscles and a healthy glow suffused her skin as she felt more _alive_ than ever before. It continued to rush out of her, needing a way out of her body.

"Ruby," Yang said nervously. "It's getting bigger!"

"Hah?" Ruby looked down again and her eyes grew wide. The ball was… morphing, expanding. Its edges rippled like water, like a turbulent sea with waves growing larger and larger, bulging out the sides and twisting in on itself. Where before it had been smooth and serene, now it fought to break free.

And more and more of her power was being fed into it.

"Cut it off!" Yang said. "End it!"

"I – I can't! It keeps coming!" The ball _twisted_ in on itself and a bit leapt up into the air, frothing like boiling water being spat out of an iron pan. "End!" Ruby commanded. "Stop! Desist! Go away!" Trying to remember what she'd said in the fight with the Arcanist before, she tried "Back!"

That was a mistake.

If it wasn't for Yang's quick reactions and natural caution, she'd be dead. The ball shot away from Ruby's hands with incredible speed, tearing through the air towards her sister – who dodged out the way at the last second, diving to the side.

The `spell` didn't so much hit the wall as splash against it. Flame crackled up the wood and then burned out immediately, ending itself before the wall could catch fire, but leaving terrible burn marks across the wood. Loud crackling sounds boomed like thunder and bright blue light flared, spiking out from every crack in the room as they were momentarily blinded.

From outside, it must have seemed like a sun had dawned in their room for a moment.

Ruby hoped no one was on the street below.

"T-The fuck was that!?" Yang coughed, hacking on the small amount of smoke left behind. The wall looked like someone had taken a burnt-out torch to it and scorched the woodwork. "You said you were going to keep it small!"

"I tried. I didn't think it would do that!"

"Is this gonna be a constant thing? You having to use magic and then it being this bad?"

"I don't know. Maybe?"

"It's going to make staying hidden hard." Yang frowned and inspected the wall. "We might be able to hide this. Maybe if we say it was an accident. Dump a candle at the base or something. Junior's gonna have my head, but he'll get over it."

"I-I'm sorry…"

Yang sighed. "Nothing we can do, is there? We'll have to be careful next time. You good for another month or two? Not going to pop out any more?"

"I think so." Ruby took a deep breath. Her body felt better than it had for weeks, like she could run a marathon. Even as nervous as she was, there was a giddiness inside that couldn't entirely be ignored. "I feel good. Great even."

"Wonderful." Yang rolled her eyes. "Whatever. I guess that gets rid of the immediate problem-"

Bells were tolling. The bells on the walls.

"What the-?" Yang hurried over to the window and opened the shutters, Ruby close behind her. Outside, the towers on the walls were glowing faintly, glowing as if a torch were in the top, lighting up a vibrant red. Not _every_ tower, but two or three. The two or three that, if one imagined lines to be coming from them, would intersect over their location.

Already, red lights were being thrown up into the sky, rising above the rooftops like rising stars, then hanging in the air, glowing like paper lanterns. The sound of boots echoing on the streets sounded and Yang ducked back with a curse, hiding away from six figures in armour and red that came stampeding down the road.

A crash sounded from below. They were in the building. Junior and the Malachites were shouting – there was more shouting from the guards. Voices raised and Ruby heard the wooden stairs being scaled. How fast were their reactions? How could they not only locate, but have people here already? Ruby's heart was in her throat and she sat on the bed, paralysed.

"Move!" Yang hissed and caught her arm, hauling her bodily out of bed and toward the window. "Go. Run. Find somewhere safe to lay low." Yang looked back as feet echoed outside. They didn't know _which_ room it was, but they were knocking and forcing their way into each. "I'll keep them busy."

"Y-Yang-!?"

"Shh. It's fine." Yang pushed her out the window. Ruby's feet instinctively sought the thin wooden railing, used to climbing and travelling off street level. "I'm not a Wildmage, am I? I'll make something up, relax." She smiled grimly. "Just stay safe and I'll find you, Ruby. I promise. Get out and hide somewhere – and whatever you do, _don't_ use any more magic."

Fists hammered at the door. "Open up! You have ten seconds, or we knock the door down!"

Taking a deep breath, Ruby took one last look at Yang and let go, tumbling down to the dirt path below. She landed hard and rolled to bleed off the force, scanned the area and moved north. These were just the guards. Arcanists would be close behind. As she ran, Ruby felt a familiar weight settle in her pocket, appearing as if from nowhere.

Ignoring it, she fled from her home for the last ten years, hearing Yang shouting abuse at the guards – probably half-naked and blaming them for coming in on her. She could only hope Yang would get away; she was probably safer _without_ Ruby there.

_Everyone would be safer without me…_

A robed figure appeared at the end of the alley and ran toward her. Ruby's heart hammered in her chest and her hand fell to her knife. He dashed _past_ her, ignoring her entirely and running toward Junior's place.

They didn't know-? Not everyone could sense her? Or was it that they could only sense where magic had been done, and not who had it? Why, then, had the Arcanist from the gate, the blonde, seen her when she tried to sneak through with the farmers?

If they couldn't find her now, she was safe for a bit. At least until she used magic again – which she'd have to if her last reaction to abstaining was any indication. She couldn't _not_ use her powers. They'd just build and build until she had another accident. Hunkering down amongst some piles of trash, Ruby made herself small and ignored the distant tolling and shouting. How many nights had she stayed awake dreaming of being an Arcanist? This was so different to her childish fantasies.

"This is all your fault!" she hissed, dragging out the stupid fucking box that the _bitch_ of an Arcanist had given her. "You're the cause of all this! If it wasn't for you, I wouldn't be stuck like this!" Ruby squeezed it between her hands, trying to crush it.

The box clicked.

Whether it was the latent magic in her hands, the fact she'd cast a spell or just what had happened before, no sooner had she applied pressure to it then the box clicked and the top plane slid open of its own accord, revealing a small, satin-lined interior with a small, silvery object inside.

It was a broach.

A silver broach stylised like a wolf's head snarling with three lines behind it. Each of the eyes held what looked like a slot for a gemstone. Reaching into her other pocket, she drew out the piece of jewellery she'd found in the shack on the outskirts of Vale. The long and coiling snake was set around spaces for two stones, just like the wolf broach. More than that, the one in her hand, the empty one, was the same design that the foppish Arcanist had worn on his red mantle.

His had a single gem set in it, the colour red.

_It's an Arcanist's Seal,_ Ruby thought, staring down on it in awe. _This is how they recognise one another, how they know just anyone in a robe isn't an Arcanist. Because they need to have one of these. _Like a badge used among gang members in the slums, it would probably be used as proof of identity through gates and walls, and even into the Collegium itself. The snake one must have been for Vale, while the snarling wolf head – was that Menagerie? It had come from the faunus, so there was a good chance. That or she'd killed an Arcanist and stolen it from them.

As an experiment, Ruby threw the box away and the broach with it. She stood and made her way down the street – far enough for the spell on her to kick in. Something heavy settled in her pocket. Ruby reached in. Her fingers touched metal.

The spell was on the broach, not the box. An idea occurred to her.

A terrible, terrible idea.

She was being hunted and her magic was out of control. Neither her nor Yang knew enough about it to get around that problem, and part of that was just knowledge. Without knowing what a Wildmage was and what they did, they couldn't stay hidden. Yang was willing to risk her life to try, but that was just it. Yang couldn't fight the Arcane Collegium on her behalf. It would never work. But if she could get _into_ the Collegium? If she could sneak in? Ruby swallowed and looked down at the snarling head broach. At the same time, she tossed the Vale one aside, letting it fall into the trash.

"I need a robe. A robe and a mantle…"

* * *

**Oh Ruby, what **_**are**_** you doing now? **

**So yes, there's a very brief look into the Collegium's organisational structure. More of it will become clear in time, but the titles should make enough hints. Also, though I'm sure many people got the reference, I was trying to suggest the White Fang symbol for the broach – not the Witcher. I'm sure some people will hear "snarling wolf head" and think of that, though. Can't blame them. Witcher is a great mythos.**

**I won't be taking anything from it, though. I love it, but magic in that series is… kinda hard to understand at times. It's just a coincidence with the White Fang's logo being similar.**

* * *

**Next Chapter: 18****th**** June**

**P a treon . com (slash) Coeur **


	5. Chapter 5

**Here's Arcanum.**

**Got a busy week coming up for me, and just a quick reminder to fans of Headmaster Arc who may be reading his fic, that there will be no update this Thursday due to me being at an award ceremony in Leicester.**

* * *

**Book 1: Wildmage**

**Chapter 5**

* * *

Clad in a muddy brown robe and with the morning sun beating down on her, Ruby approached the gate from the Lower Quarter to the Merchant's, head low and eyes snapping left and right. Every guard was noted and memorised, every possible escape route and even the Arcanist atop the wall, who looked down not on her but the slums as a whole, was placed in her head, labelled and considered as she scanned for potential threats and more escape routes.

Ruby drew her hood up and adjusted her mantle, a simple piece of off-grey cloth wrapped around her shoulders, linked above her heart by the broach with the snarling wolf's head. Her hands lay flat at her side. It was hard to keep them there and not let them wrap about the knife she'd hidden under her robes.

Well, calling them robes was a bit much. It was a rug she'd stolen, cut short and worked a hole through for her head, then clumsily sewn a blanket onto the top as a hood. If one looked closely enough, or at the weave inside, they'd see how bad it was, but from the outside, and at a distance, it might have looked like a tatty set of robes from someone who had been travelling for too long and who hadn't had time to rest.

To better sell that image, she'd rolled around in some mud on the riverbank.

"Halt," a guard called, approaching her warily. "What business have you in the-"

Another tapped the breastplate of the first, then pointed to the broach on her chest. The first swallowed and stepped back, murmuring under his breath and calling out for the others to open the gate.

"Lord Arcanist," the guard said respectfully, allowing her to pass.

Ruby's heart raced.

That was it? That was how easy it was? She fought the urge to break into a spring the second she was through and instead walked calmly down the fancier roads found within the Merchant's Quarter, expecting an attack from behind at any moment. Or for the Arcanist atop the wall to shout out that she was a fraud. Or just to lunch a spell at her.

Nothing came. No one spoke. When she broke her façade to look back, the guards weren't even watching her and the Arcanist was still focused on the slums.

_I'm through. It worked. _

They thought she was an Arcanist.

Was it really as easy as a piece of jewellery and a cloak? Or was that just for the guards at the Lower Quarter? No one would dare disguise themselves as an Arcanist and expect to get away with it. The problem wasn't so much the average guards, who would back away out of fear, but other Arcanists. They had to have a way to identify their own, and she doubted getting into the Collegium would be quite so easy. That's what she had to do, though. Where else was she going to find out what a Wildmage was, and how to control her destructive magic?

_Yang told me to find somewhere safe to hide. They'd never expect me to hide there._

For the first time in Ruby's life, she walked down the middle of the road in the Merchant's Quarter, walking in the open and not hiding on rooftops or alleyways. People moved out of her way, some whispering and others looking at her robes in disgust. More for their state than what she represented. A stall owner called out to her, gesturing and shouting about his fine clothes and exotic silks. Ruby pretended she hadn't heard him and kept moving. She only had about four lien on her, not even enough for a bolt of cotton.

Not wanting to run into the same people as before, Ruby crossed the bridge to the west side of the River Vale, then approached a gate to the Upper District on that side. Again, there was an Arcanist on the wall, but again they were distracted, paying little attention to the people coming in and out of the gate. Ruby joined the back of the queue and made sure her seal was prominently displayed.

"Next," a guard called. He was old and weathered, and looked bored, even at the sight of her robes. Being stationed closer to the Collegium, it was possible he was more familiar with Arcanists. He wasn't nearly as frightened or impressed as those on the lower gate had been. "Purpose?"

Ruby swallowed and tried to appear calm. If she was already being challenged here, she dreaded to think what the final gate would be like.

"Collegium." she said.

"Hm. Are you with the new influx of students?"

New students-? The Collegium must have been opening its doors to the rich and wealthy again, taking on the next batch of Arcanists. Ruby nodded quickly, taking the opportunity for what it was. "Yes. I'm joining the Collegium."

_Just let me through. Please..._

"Show me."

Nervously, Ruby took her broach between finger and thumb and angled it up so he could see it.

"That's not a Vale emblem."

"But it _is_ an Arcanum," another guard said, listening in. "From one of the other Collegiums?"

Ruby nodded quickly.

"I don't recognise it. You?"

"No." The second guard looked to her. "We'll need to ask you to hang around for a moment. Why don't you come with me? I'll get you some food and drink and we can wait for someone to come and sort this out."

The guard had a hand on her shoulder before she could react. He was smiling and she knew it was meant as a friendly gesture, but Ruby's body shook. Caught. They didn't suspect yet, but she was caught. Swallowing again, she fought the urge to break away and run. That would only look suspicious. The best bet was to play along and then find a chance to escape.

Ruby let the man lead her into the guardhouse.

/-/

They left her in a small and comfortable room with a leather seat filled with goose feather and a table of rich dark wood. There was a bowl of fruit upon it which she'd been told she could help herself to. Her stomach grumbled and she picked up an apple. Running away on an empty stomach would just get her caught.

Like the ravenous creature she was, she fell on the offering. Nothing survived. It didn't occur to her that it might be for snacking. That wasn't how it worked in the slums. If food was put before you, you ate it. There was no telling when another meal might come around, so even if it left you so full you felt ill, you still forced it down. The fruit was sugary sweet and sour in places, but Ruby bit into it without pause, chewing for only as long as she had to before biting into another and starting again. The apples were reduced to cores, then nibbled clean until there was no flesh left. The banana skin were tough, but edible.

The bounty was too much for her, though.

These guards had life far too nice!

Two apples, three bananas, two limes and several grapes and oranges had fallen to her, but the bowl was still half full. There was no point wasting the meal, so she stuck a banana down her hose, filled her shirt under her robes with as many oranges as she could carry and began to upend the grapes into her pockets. It only made sense to stock up for when times were less generous, but she was so focused on the expensive food that she didn't think to watch the time, or listen at the door.

When it opened with a click, she froze. When a man in robes a dark shade of blue entered, Ruby panicked.

_I got distracted. Horse piss!_

And now an Arcanist had found her. Ruby stared at him, holding the grapes as though she could somehow use them as weapons. He was a tall man with grey-black hair and a moustache that tickled hi upper lip. Lithe and thin, even in his robes, he swept into the room and closed the door behind him, looking at her with an inquisitive expression.

"Hm. I was told I was meeting a young woman, not a boy…"

"I am a woman," Ruby mumbled, indignant even if she'd heard those words a hundred times before. Though her appearance might have been flat and underweight, her voice was not and the Arcanist's eyes grew a little wider.

"Ah." He coughed into his fist. "I apologise." His eyes strayed to the empty bowl on the table. "I suppose that explains your appetite. My name is Arthur, Arthur Watts. I am an Arcanist at the Arcane Collegium of Vale. You may address me as Arcanist, Sir or Mr Watts. Whichever pleases you."

He wasn't threatening her or bringing out the spells, even if he could. That didn't relieve her any, but it was a good sign. Maybe. Unless he was so confident he didn't _need_ to show his hand. Silence permeated between them, the man standing there waiting for something.

"That was your cue to introduce yourself."

Huh, really? Why didn't he say so?

"Ruby Rose."

"Charmed." The Arcanist bowed faintly and then swept his robes back, sitting on one of the seats and gesturing for her to do the same. Seeing no other option, she did. "The guards at the gate called me to say someone had tried to enter the Upper District with an Arcanum not native to Vale. While that would normally be enough cause for intervention as it is, she also claimed to be a student. That is you, I assume?"

An Arcanum? That must have been what the seals were called. Ruby nodded.

"Arcanum are given only to official Arcanists, or those accepted into a Collegium. In the case of the latter, a student cannot _leave_ a Collegium until they are fully qualified Arcanists. I find myself wondering just how you are here, outside of your Collegium and approaching our own."

The seal – Arcanum, whatever – had come from the faunus in the bar, and everyone knew the faunus came from Menagerie. It was a convenient excuse and Ruby went with it, having no other ideas or options.

"My Collegium fell."

Watts' eyes grew wide. "You come from Menagerie?" At her nod, he leaned forward. "Show me your Arcanum. Give it to me."

Ruby unclasped the broach and held it out.

The man snatched it and held it up to the light, humming as he inspected the wolf's head and the two empty sockets within it. "No gemstones. You're an apprentice, then? Or are you completely new?"

Not having any idea what he was talking about, she took the easy option.

"I'm new."

"I see. Did you actually get _into_ the Collegium? Or were you sent this and told to attend?"

"T-The last one. I was on my way there when it fell."

"You are fortunate then," he said. "There were, to my understanding, no survivors from the fall of Menagerie. Unfortunate as well, for I'd hoped you might have answers to what happened." He sighed and placed the Arcanum down on the table. "No matter. Perhaps that is a mystery best left buried. So, upon the loss of Menagerie and its Collegium, you have travelled here in the hopes of joining our own?"

Ruby nodded again. Was that allowed? Would it prove her fake? There was no knowing, but it felt safer to agree with everything the Arcanist said. Nod, smile and do whatever he wanted as long as it didn't mean her walking into a cell, or the Sanctum.

"Good."

Her shoulders loosened.

"All Arcanists should be tied to a Collegium. To operate outside of one is a grave offence, one which might have found you sent to the Sanctum." The man saw her shiver and tapped his fingers on the desk. "You needn't worry about that. You did the right thing in coming straight to another Collegium. We cannot have rogue Arcanists wandering around the countryside causing problems. You did well, Ruby Rose."

"T-Then I can join?"

"No Collegium would turn away a rogue Arcanist. You're hardly that, but you were accepted into Menagerie, which makes you as close to an Arcanist as one can be without a gemstone." His eyes narrowed. "Of course, that is assuming your story is true."

Her heart froze. Had he caught her?

"This would hardly be the first time someone has tried to lie their way into the Collegium, be it out of greed, childish wonder or purposes more nefarious. An Arcanum can be faked, mimicked or taken from a dead Arcanist." He inspected the one before him, and then her. "This is yours, correct? It belongs to you and no other?"

There was a saying in the Lower Quarter, one known among all Dredgers. If in doubt, lie. If accused, lie. If caught, lie.

If your lies are found, lie more.

"It's mine."

"I'm glad to hear it. In that case, you won't mind me making sure. There are ways to test it, after all."

There were-!? Shit, of course there were. It wasn't going to be a free pass through any gate and into the Collegium, a place just as well guarded as the palace itself. The Arcanists were bound to have a way to make sure she was legit, otherwise anyone who knew what the seal looked like could mimic it if they had the skill or some money to pay off a metalworker.

Ruby eyed the window again, wondering if she could survive the drop. They were three floors up and there was no building outside for her to grab onto. The walls weren't exactly made for scaling, either. That would have defeated the point of them being walls.

Taking her silence for permission, the Arcanist cupped her Arcanum in his hands and whispered some soft words. Ruby tensed, ready to bolt past him the second he realised it was fake – the moment he'd show some surprise and let his guard down. He'd be vulnerable then. If he was like the other Arcanist, he might not have been trained to fight. They had guards for that. If she could blindside and knock him down, she might be able to steal his robes and escape.

A thin train of blue light shot out from the Arcanum in his hand and pointed to her.

To her left forearm.

Ruby froze, waiting for it to burn, sear or shackle her.

It did no such thing. It just pointed to her.

"Very good," Watts said, placing the Arcanum down and then pushing it across the table. "I had to be sure, you understand. The Arcane Collegium contains many grand secrets and works of art, any of which might be of value to those with nefarious intentions."

_I – I passed? But how?_

"It's on your arm, I presume?" Watts asked. "A common place for the mark. Show me."

Still confused, but slowly coming to realise she might have somehow gotten through this, Ruby extended her arm toward him. He took it and pushed her sleeve up, revealing the tattoo that the Arcanist had given her. Ruby's eyes widened as he touched a finger to her skin and the tattoo glowed faintly.

"This marks you as an Arcanist, specifically of the Menagerie Collegium," he said. "That's a shame as we'll not be able to overwrite it with our own, but it should not be a problem." He let her arm go and she pushed her sleeve back down. "In future, if someone challenges you, show them both your Arcanum and your Arcane Brand." He held out the broach to her.

Ruby clasped it to her mantle once more, hiding her shock in the quick movements. The tattoo was a part of the seal thing? But all it did was make sure the broach kept coming back. Which… now that she thought about it, was the whole damned point, wasn't it?

If an Arcanum could be stolen from an Arcanist, it would cause havoc. You could have just about anyone breaking into the Collegium and moving around the city at will, going through whatever gates they wanted, just like she had.

It wasn't that the guards had been lax in not questioning her more; it was that it was simply not possible for someone to steal an Arcanum from an Arcanist, because the tattoo would activate when it was taken too far away, making the damn thing reappear back on the Arcanist's person.

_Did she know this would happen when she forced it on me? How-? Or did she just want to make me look like an Arcanist?_ There were too many questions. Questions she wasn't going to get an answer to as Watts stood suddenly.

"Come. You'll only be stopped at the next gate if I leave you be, and no doubt I'll be called on again. I shall escort you into the Collegium and handle your introduction myself. It will save us both time and energy."

Ruby stumbled out of her seat and ran after him.

/-/

"You will be joining the new students who are going to attend the Collegium. The official start of the new year is tomorrow, which makes you early. That is well and good considering the work that must be done to add you to the roster."

Watts stopped them at the final gate, one leading into the Collegium proper. It was the one she'd been the most worried about, and with good reason. Where the others had city guards, these were watched by the Collegium Guards. Men and women in medium armour with long red tabards and watchful eyes. Where others might have shied away from Arcanists, they nodded respectfully but calmly to Watts, then watched her like hawks.

There were also Arcanists manning the gates. Four in total.

Watts merely waved his Arcanum and said a few words to one of them, who nodded and gestured for the rest to let them through.

If Ruby had thought the Upper District was opulent, the Collegium had that beaten easily. The gate led into a huge expanse of grass and flowerbeds, with five paths of some white chalk-like pebbles cut across it, leading to the River Vale, which wound through the gardens. Five wooden bridges spanned it, then spread out in further directions on the other side.

The central path led to the largest building Ruby had ever seen, which looked almost like a palace in its own right, with ornate windows of brightly coloured glass, towering buttresses adorned with pennants and gargoyles and ornate sigils tooled from gold and silver set into the white-brick walls. It shone in the early morning sun, light reflected from gleaming white brick in a way that made the whole thing seem like it was glowing.

"That is the Academy of Magic," Watts explained, leading Ruby down one of the paths, white stones crunching underfoot as they did so. "It is not just a place for new students like yourself but is also used for many researching and working on their craft."

"Are you a teacher there?"

"I am not. I am a qualified Arcanist but have no interest in teaching."

"But isn't the Collegium a school?"

"Is that what you were told?" He laughed. "No, the Collegium is far more than just a school. The Academy of Magic, or the Arcane Academy, is but one facet of the Arcane Collegium. Its grounds make up one building and two dormitories, which you can see there and there."

He pointed down the paths leading to the right, where two large buildings stood – one bigger than the other and pressed up against the wall, and the other smaller and more ornate, stood amidst a copse of trees. There were people in robes streaming out of them, some of them as short as she.

"Accommodation for younger Arcanists. The larger one is for students from zero to no stones, while the second is for those who have earned their first stone."

"Stones?"

"Did they tell you nothing?" Watts sighed and held a hand to his face. Ruby squirmed, wondering if she'd made a mistake, but he spoke before she could. "No. It is not your fault, I'm sure. You did not have the chance to be taught."

Reaching up to his own mantle, Watts angled his broach down. It was the winding snake of Vale, but there was a difference. Apart from it being burnished to a silvery shine, there were two bright stones set into the slots. One of them was a dark midnight blue, lighter on the edges, while the other was a solid emerald. Blue and green, sparkling next to one another.

"Each of these stones represents that I have dedicated myself to master an individual Arcane School. It is a sign of specialisation. Magic is versatile, too versatile for anyone to hope to master in one lifetime. While you will be given a basic understanding of the Arcane Arts, you will have to choose what school you will follow, and it is that which you will be taught in detail. At that point you will graduate from a no-stone Arcanist, to a one-stone Arcanist."

He pointed to her empty broach, and to the eye sockets. "But you have two," she said.

"Yes. By the time you have mastered one, you will be considered a fully-fledged Arcanist, but the life and study of an Arcanist is not over there. You may, if you wish, elect to study a second school, represented by a second colour. Not everyone does," he said. "Some prefer to remain pure to the one school and master that, but many see securing a second gemstone to be a mark of honour."

"What do the colours mean?"

"They represent the different schools, of which there are many."

"What are they?"

"If I were to stand here explaining that, we would be here for hours," Watts said, sighing. "All of this will be explained when it comes time for you to choose your specialisation. Have a little patience."

"Sorry…"

"Really, it's fine. A little excitement is no big problem." Watts led her on, away from the students who were making their way toward the main academy building. "What I was saying before is that the Academy is only a small part of what the Collegium is. Apart from students, every qualified Arcanist in Vale has quarters at the Collegium."

Ruby balked. "They _all_ live here!?"

"Yes. The Arcane Collegium is a home as much as it is a school. Toward the back – you cannot see it from here, but far at the back of the Collegium – are quarters for accommodation. It is where I live. Beyond that, there are parks, schools for even younger children, libraries and more. Everything that is required for people to live their lives exists in one way or another in the Collegium."

"But why? Why have that all in here when the Upper and Merchant's Quarters have them already?"

"Because it would be inconvenient for us to have to leave the Collegium every time we wanted something." He waved a hand, dismissing the issue. "You shouldn't worry about that anyway. Your focus will doubtlessly be on the academy, the dormitories and the specialist schools when you choose one."

"Specialist schools?"

He sighed again. "There is no end to your questions, is there? Again, Ruby, you shall learn of them when the time is right. Focus for now on what is important. We are here." He stopped them before a building that looked somewhat like a house of prayer, albeit one without windows and with two guards wearing purple robes stood outside.

They tensed on seeing their approach. They were different to the other guards. Apart from the fact they wore purple, they were also much more lightly armoured, with connecting metal plates forming a loose armour over black leather, but little more. It all seemed of very high quality, however.

"I have a student whose details must be entered into the Scriptorium," Watts explained.

"The new students have already been written."

"Extenuating circumstances. She comes from Menagerie and only reached Vale today. It wouldn't do for her to be unrecorded now, would it?"

"No." One of the guards stepped aside. "Wait here. I shall have an Arcanist come to escort you."

He stepped inside while the other stood watching, hand on his weapon. It shocked her that he'd do that so blatantly, and with Watts right there, but the Arcanist didn't seem to mind. He waited patiently and Ruby stood nearby, fidgeting slightly until the first guard returned, this time with another man who was much older and weathered, with white-grey hair and a wrinkled face.

"Scribe," Watts greeted respectfully.

"Arcanist," the `Scribe` replied. He was also an Arcanist, because Ruby could see he had the same broach, this time with yellow and brown as the gemstones. The man's eyes roamed over her. "One from Menagerie, I'm told. Interesting. Very interesting." His eyes flicked to Watts. "Also, unlikely."

"She was tested, lord Scribe. Though if you wish to do the same yourself." Watts nodded to her. "Ruby, show him your mark."

Pulling back the sleeve of her ratty cloak, and all too aware of how they scrunched up their noses at it, Ruby showed the old man the inside of her arm, where the tattoo she'd been given lay. The old man grunted and reached out to touch it with fingers that felt as dry as parchment. When it flared blue like it had with Watts, he drew back.

"Very well. Come on, then. Let's get her added to the register."

/-/

"You can leave the rest to the lord Scribe," Watts said, leading her out of the Scriptorium flanked by two more guards in purple tabards. "And don't mind the security. The Scriptorium contains the names, specialties and known abilities of every Arcanist in the Kingdom of Vale. Knowledge is power and must be guarded."

Ruby nodded, all too relieved to be out of the dusty rooms filled with guards watching her every move. Being inside there, in rooms dimly lit by candles, had only reminded her of a pressing problem that might have doomed her.

She couldn't read or write.

Through some sheer miracle – or more likely that they only trusted themselves to do it – she hadn't been asked to read or write anything down. The `lord scribe` had done all that, only demanding things like her name, her date of birth – she made that up – and whether she had any history of arcane arts in the family. She said no.

After that, they'd taken a little blood from her, pricking her thumb with a small knife and collecting a piece onto the paper, where they had made her push down her thumb to form a print. The scribe had then cast some spell on it before sealing the paper in a wooden box and pushing it into an alcove on a wall which contained what looked to be _thousands_ of similar boxes. Given that had been only one room of the Scriptorium, she had to wonder how many more might have been stored there.

"The lord scribe will handle the paperwork to get you added to your classes," Watts said. "All that's left for me is to get you settled, and then I can get back to my research." He eyed her. "I'll also have some initiate robes sent up for you. Your current wear is… well, let us just say that it shows the rigours of your travel. As do you. You'll need a bath."

Ruby could only nod again, munching on one of the pears she'd stolen earlier. He rolled his eyes at that but didn't intervene. In all honesty, she was getting tired of spending so much time standing up and the wonder of being in the Collegium was quickly being replaced with fatigue. Yang would probably be looking for her now as well, which meant she needed to get back to the Lower Quarter and explain.

"Will we be done once I'm there?" Ruby asked.

"Yes. Someone will come to collect you for initiation tomorrow, after which you'll be expected to look after yourself. You'll have a room to yourself at first, but I expect you will be sharing. Most first years are placed in pairs. You'll find out yours tomorrow."

A room to every two people? That was lavish. _I'm in the Collegium,_ she reminded herself, _everyone here is rich._

The people she walked by as they entered the larger of the two dormitories certainly reinforced that. They moved with imperious expressions, bowing to Watts and murmuring "Lord Arcanist" respectfully, but ignoring her completely, except for those who sneered at her outfit. Well, being ignored by these people wouldn't be a bad thing. It was only bad if they started paying attention.

"This is a guest room," Watts said as he opened a door. "It has a lock on the inside. Feel free to use it as your own for tonight. I'm sure the wardens will find a room for you themselves."

"Wardens…?"

"The people who run the dormitories. They're student volunteers, not officials. You'll meet them tomorrow."

"Okay." Ruby stepped in and tried not to look too amazed at what she was seeing. There was a large bed on one side that looked comfortable with its fluffed sheet and cushions, a wooden desk at the end, pushed against the wall with a chair before it, a small bookcase and a chest of drawers. It was smaller than the room Yang and she shared but had at least twice the furniture. There was also another door leading off, which Ruby pointed to questioningly.

"Wash room," Watts said with a roll of his eyes. "Obviously."

Wait, they had entire _rooms_ dedicated to washing? That was ridiculous. Yang would just drag the copper tub from downstairs into their room. It was a tub shared by everyone who worked at Junior's place and had begun to turn green in places. Poking her head inside, Ruby saw that her tub wasn't a tub at all, but rather a ceramic bowl of some kind, easily big enough to contain her.

_How am I supposed to get water up all those stairs, though?_ _And how can I light a fire under it if it's built into the wall?_

Deciding that it might look a little too suspicious to ask that, Ruby just nodded and stepped back. If Arcanists could figure it out, she could figure it out. Unless they used a spell to do so, in which case she was screwed. Ah well, there was the river outside. It wouldn't be the first time she'd washed herself in it.

"I'll be leaving you here," Watts said, looking equal parts relieved and tired. "There are robes in the drawers. Someone will come to throw yours away in the morning, so you can leave them on the floor. Good luck with your studies." He left without anything more, and without giving her a chance to thank him. He didn't seem the kind of person to care.

Finally releasing the breath she'd been holding, Ruby collapsed onto the comfortable bed, ignoring how the mud she had all over her seeped onto the clean sheets. As she'd thought, the strange mattress was squashed down under her – and not with the crinkling of straw. It was like they'd caught a cloud in cotton and tied it up.

Well, they _were_ Arcanists. Maybe they had.

_And I'm an Arcanist now,_ she thought. _Technically…_

There was no telling how long that would last, but it didn't have to. She just needed to figure out how to safely use magic, then she could leave. Looking at her hands, she was glad to see they weren't tingling, and that the suffocating urge to use magic hadn't returned from the other night.

"It's only when I go a long time without it," she reasoned. "It's only been one night now, so it's not a problem." At least she'd be using magic here. Maybe it wouldn't come back if she was using it more often. "Now I've just got to find Yang and tell her everything is okay."

Kicking out of the bed, Ruby dragged herself reluctantly away from the promise of the bed nap ever and trudged over to the wooden drawers. She opened the top one and found several robes a light grey in colour stacked together. They were plain, punishingly so, but that was probably the point. With the gemstones representing what kind of Arcanist you were, maybe the colour of the robes was the same deal. Grey for nothing, or for new students.

"Initiates," she said, recalling Watts' words. "I'm an initiate."

Reaching out to touch one of the cloaks, Ruby grinned. Grey or not, the material was thin and soft under her fingers – way better than what she was wearing. Hauling her tattered robe off and tossing it aside, Ruby pulled a new one on and marvelled at how it waved in the air, somehow still cool to wear even as it protected her from the elements. The material must have been expensive.

They wouldn't notice if she borrowed a few, right? Looking around to make sure she wasn't being watched, Ruby tore through the other drawers, taking one from each and packing the rest back in so that it _looked_ like there was the same amount there. She bundled the three robes up under her own and patted them down. She was thin enough that no one would see the extra weight and think anything of it.

Stuff like this would sell well in the slums, maybe even enough to feed her and Yang for a month. Ruby's eyes roved over the rest of the room, idly looking for other valuables that wouldn't be missed. Sadly, while there was plenty of silver and gold around, it was all either in the walls, lamps or on handles to doors. The kinds of things that would be noticed.

_This'll do for now. Yang will be amazed when she sees it._

Amazed enough, maybe, to not explode over the face Ruby had decided the `safest` place to hide was literally in the last place anyone would think to look for her. And with good reason.

Creeping to the door and testing the handle, Ruby poked her head out, wincing when several passers-by looked her way. They kept moving, however, ignoring her, and she found some quiet confidence in that, enough to step out of the room entirely. The corridor outside had wooden panelling on the walls, with it turning to a deep red as it reached up toward an arched ceiling. Green carpets, thick and soft, lay underfoot, and torches evenly spaced down the corridor lit the way.

Everyone there was wearing the same robes as her, replete with broaches, and like her those broaches were barren, lacking any coloured stones. They were students like her, maybe not the `new ones` who were supposed to come tomorrow, but ones from last year.

Their ages surprised her. Some of them looked almost as old as Junior. Age didn't seem to mean much with magic. Maybe they'd only realised they had their powers recently. Like her, they'd still have to learn how to use them.

When no one made any move to stop or question her, Ruby began to trace her steps back the way Watts had taken her, joining on to a group of other initiates and blending in with them. They took her to the huge staircase, which Ruby made her way down, passing other students ascending on the other side, some chatting loudly with one another.

On the bottom floor, there were no rooms. Rather, it was all some kind of big living area, with loads of tables, chairs, benches and noticeboards. She couldn't read any of those, but people were commenting on what was on them, and she realised it was news about the city. Other initiates were sat around tables talking and some were even playing a card game in the corner, small stacks of lien in front of them as they gambled.

_The bottom floor is like a tavern. The most well-mannered and snobby tavern ever, but still…_

It was a place where the people in the dorm could gather to spend time with one another or study. That made sense, since the people here were all attending the academy. There were no guards on the building, either because they weren't important enough to protect, or they weren't important enough to have enemies. Ruby walked out without being challenged, the white stones of the path winding through the Collegium crunching underfoot.

Afternoon was just beginning to set in, and the sun was slowly descending, still bright but on its way towards the horizon and now casting grand shadows over the collegium where it would hide behind spires and towers in the main city. Tugging her hood up and affixing her broach in place, Ruby made her way toward the nearest gate. All she had to do was show them her Arcanum and her tattoo and she'd be out and free to find Yang.

Heh. Yang was going to _freak_ when she saw her.

"Halt," a guard, this one in red, said. "Present your Arcanum."

Ruby did so, angling it out so he could see. The man looked at it, then at her robes, frowning, before he finally sighed and crossed his arms. "You're a newblood, I take it?"

Ruby flinched. "Hah?"

"An initiate." He chuckled. "Sorry. Newblood is what we call _our_ initiates. Gets confusing if we give you all the same titles."

Theirs? Oh, the Collegium Guards. Watts hadn't shown her where they lived, but like every set of guards, they had to have a barracks _within_ the walls they were stationed at, so they must have had their own guardhouse in the Collegium grounds. That would explain why they were so relaxed around the Arcanists. They literally grew up and were trained alongside them. That was probably something reserved for the best of the best, the most promising candidates and strongest guardsmen. The slums got the worst, naturally.

"Oh. Um. Yes." Ruby sketched what she hoped was a polite bow. "I've only just joined the Collegium today."

"I can tell. You'd know the rules otherwise."

"Rules…?"

The guard relaxed, as did those with him, ignoring her and going back to the conversation they'd been having before, leaving the first to handle her. He was a friendly-looking man, or was that just because she now wore nice clothing and didn't look like a Dredger? If he knew the truth, she was sure he'd be beating her black and blue. It worked to her advantage either way as he left his hand off his sword.

"I'm sure you'll have it explained better to you tomorrow during the initiation, but I can give you the basics. If you want to pass beyond the walls into the Upper District, you need to be a one-stone Arcanist. Unless you can present your Arcanum with a gemstone, you can't head out into the city." He smiled apologetically. "Sorry, lass."

"What!?" Ruby's voice came out weak. "But one-stone Arcanists are _official_ Arcanists." At least as far as Watts had explained it. That could take _years_ of study. "What about all the students here-!?"

"Confined to the Collegium. I wouldn't worry, we have everything you'll need here, including shops and places to eat, have fun or relax. There's nothing in the city you could want that you can't find here."

Except for her sister. Yang, who had no idea where Ruby was.

Ruby's breath quickened as she realised what he was saying. Confined, trapped, like a prison of its own. Why? What was the point in keeping all the Arcanists locked inside? Or just the younger ones. The older ones could obviously go wherever they wished. Maybe he was wrong. Maybe it was just because she was _brand new_ and they'd get a gemstone in a week or two.

That would still be too long.

"B-But I'm not technically a student until tomorrow," Ruby reasoned, appealing to his logic. "If I come back tonight, it'll be okay. Right? I'll only be a few hours. It would just be like if I arrived tomorrow with the other initiates."

"I'm afraid not." The man's face hardened. "Collegium rules. Initiates are under no circumstances to be allowed to leave the Collegium."

"Without permission?"

"Under no circumstances," he repeated. "Once you enter the Collegium, the only way you leave is as an Arcanist. I'm sorry, lass. You're not getting through." He nodded at her. "Move along now. You've a busy day tomorrow." Some of her terror must have shown because he sighed and looked away. "Look, I get that you might be feeling homesick, but you'll be fine. If you need anything, talk to one of the Wardens in your dorm. They can deliver letters outside the Collegium if there are people you want to stay in contact with."

But she could not go out in person. Nodding woodenly, Ruby turned away, eyes wide and hands clenched into fists at her side. She had to force her feet to carry her away, and then not to break into a sprint as the guards watched her go.

The cloying sense of claustrophobia came crashing down, threatening to smother her. The dormitories, the fancy rooms, the shops and the parks and so much more. It all made a disturbing amount of sense now, as did the reason why they'd never seen initiates before in Vale, only ever fully trained Arcanists. It wasn't that they didn't exist, only that they were kept locked away in the Collegium.

Trapped.

/-/

"Where the fuck are you, Ruby?" Yang growled, checking yet another of her sister's hiding spots and finding nothing. They said no news was good news, but if she found what idiot said that, she was going to throttle them.

_The Arcanists are still out looking for her, so she hasn't been captured. That means she's okay, just hiding. Hiding really damn well._ Yang tried to be proud of that fact and not terrified. Ruby was no idiot. You couldn't grow up in the slums and be an idiot. Idiots died. Idiots ended up with their throats slit in dark corners.

Ruby was good at running, real good. And she was good at hiding and climbing too, things that made her excellent in her role as a courier and messenger.

"There's no reason to panic just yet," Yang told herself. "I told Ruby to hide. She's hidden. That's good." Scanning the street around her, Yang saw a few more Arcanists and Collegium Guards making their way across a nearby road, entering a bakery.

Maybe it wouldn't be the best idea to lead them to Ruby just yet. She wasn't sure if they believed her cock and bull story about some `guy` jumping in her window with magic looking for a place to hide. They'd questioned her for a good hour on that, along with Junior and the Malachites. They'd not said anything. No one was going to talk to the guards, not even if they were from the Collegium.

Yang growled and kicked a stone out of her path, jabbing her hands into her trousers as she stalked back to Junior's place, scowling fit to send any would-be mugger running for cover. Junior was going to have questions for her. Difficult questions. Growling, she shook her head and gave up the search for the night. If Ruby thought it was safe, she'd know where to find her.

All Yang could do was have a little faith.

"You better be okay, Ruby."

* * *

**So, people will probably note that the way Ruby got into the Collegium is somewhat reminiscent of how Jaune got into Beacon in Professor Arc. It was just one of the few ways I could think to work it, and I didn't think it was worth making up some more convoluted and ridiculous way in the interests of chasing "originality" from Professor Arc. The two stories are different enough as it is.**

* * *

**Next Chapter: 2****nd**** July**

**P a treon . com (slash) Coeur **


	6. Chapter 6

**That's right. It's time for the story where Coeur overuses the word `Arcane` so much it appears, like, sixty times in one chapter. Arcane arts, Arcane Collegium, Arcane Academy, Arcanum. Hm. Definitely nothing that could have been spotted and fixed in the planning stages, lol. **

**To be fair, I tend to plan story arcs, characters and plotlines. I often don't think to ask myself "Will it get annoying having to write X, Y or Z out so many times?"**

* * *

**Chapter 6**

* * *

The guards rotated three times a night, once every three hours. They were well-rested, alert and quick to snap in her direction if she ever wandered near. They didn't allow themselves to be drawn away from the gates to investigate disturbances, nor did they make any move to chase a hooded figure loitering nearby. Instead, they watched and waited until she left.

Ruby tested them all night to no avail. When the sun began to raise in the morning, she was crabby and tired, not to mention dispirited. Her grey cloak was a little muddy too from all the crawling around. She tossed it on the floor and drew on a new one, then slipped out while the rest of the people in the dormitory were still sleeping.

Kneeling at the edge of the River Vale as it cut through the Collegium grounds, Ruby picked up a handful of the clear, cool water and splashed it on her face. It was cold and refreshing – so much more so than it was by the time it reached the slums, where the water would be grey-brown and murky. People tossed their refuge into it, but she'd never realised just how sweet it could taste on her lips.

Drawing up some more, she washed her hands, arms and gave herself a quick once-over before pulling her robes back on to cover herself. By the time she was done, the two dormitories had begun to come to life. The one for the older students first, who streamed out a full hour before she saw any life from her own. The older students moved not with confidence but with the slouched gait of people used to and fully aware that another day of hard work awaited.

By contrast, when her dorm did awake, the people who came forth were bright eyed, excited and paid remarkably little attention to everyone around them. Yang would have shaken a few down already, or just made a few lifts. Ruby's eyes, practiced as they were, quickly spotted coin purses and pouches. The Arcanists weren't even _trying_ to hide them.

"New initiates!" a voice called out, a tall and willowy woman approaching with her voice raised. "New initiates to me. That's all of you new students. Come, please. We don't have all day."

Everyone began to hurry over and Ruby followed, taking a more sedate pace. While the other initiates crowded around and before the woman, Ruby skirted the outsides, not wanting to be trapped in a mob of people if it turned nasty. That was how you got trampled. With everyone's backs to her, she couldn't help but note the coin pouch sitting tantalisingly in front of her hand. The boy it belonged to was paying no attention whatsoever.

"I am Arcanist Peach," the woman called. "I am a teacher at the Arcane Academy." Her broach, the Arcanum, was on display, one stone was orange and the other green. "I've been tasked with greeting you all and showing you to the initiation ceremony, after which you will be provided your lesson plans. For the first few days, you'll be escorted to lessons by a warden." Looking over their heads, she called out, "Come and introduce yourselves, Wardens."

Two large students strolled to the front of the crowd and stood beside the Arcanist. They were older by at least three years, though the guy looked like he could have had another three on the first. The woman had short brown hair and the guy had short-cropped black with heavily tanned skin.

"These are your Wardens," Peach explained. "They are students who would normally be staying in the upper-year dorms but have earned the right to be Wardens of yours. Make no mistake, this is not a punishment for them. It is an honour and you will treat them with respect. Wardens, introduce yourselves."

"Morning newbloods," the first said. "I am Coco Adel, warden of the girls. Anyone can come to either of us if they have problems, but if those problems are of a feminine nature, you're best off seeking me out."

"And I am Yatsuhashi," the much larger man said in a surprisingly gentle voice. "Should you require assistance I am here to help. Do not hesitate to seek out my room."

"Thank you, wardens," Peach said. "As you can see, they will be staying in your dorms, though in accommodation a little better. Listen to their instructions and be aware that they have similar authority to a teacher. If they give you an order, you will follow it. They'll guide you from lesson to lesson for the first couple of days, but after that you'll be expected to memorise and make your own way. Follow me, please."

The Arcanist led them down one of the white stone paths towards the large building Watts had shown her the day before, up some steps and through a great archway. Rich redwood made up the arch and the inside glowed from torches lit overhead, shining light down on them as yet more pooled through glass windows of various colours, sending dazzling rays of red, yellow and blue down onto the marble floor.

A great stairway split ahead of them in two directions, left and right, and led up to a second floor that circled the one they were on, corridors leading off in every direction. On the ground floor, a large archway ahead led to a room from within which loud chatter echoed, while two corridors broke off on the left and two on the right.

On either side of them, standing central in the middle of the room, two huge statues of some white rock reached up toward the ceiling, each of them a robed Arcanist linking their staffs high above their heads. The statues were so large that even if they stood on the second-floor balcony, she was sure they would have only come up to the statue's stomachs. The students looked around and gasped in awe. Ruby found herself among them, despite her panic.

"Welcome to the Arcane Academy," Peach said. "You'll each be provided with a map left in your assigned dorms to help you work your way around, but you're free to explore in your own time provided you do not interrupt lessons. The main one you need to remember is that the archway ahead of you leads to the food hall and the kitchens. Mealtimes are from six until eight in the morning, then eleven unto one and finally from six until nine in the evening. The kitchens are not open to students, but your dorms do have kitchens you may use to cook for yourself outside of those hours. Your presence in the food hall is not mandatory, so feel free to make your own meals if you wish. Any questions so far?"

No one spoke.

Ruby did. "Will we get to eat?"

"Raise your hand if you have a question in future, dear," the Arcanist said. "And yes, you'll obviously be given breakfast before your first lessons." She laughed as though the question were ridiculous. "Anything else?"

It didn't seem possible that no one else had any questions yet the students all remained quiet. Did they not care that they couldn't leave? Did they really not have _any questions_ about the Arcane Academy? She could see some of them straining like they wanted to ask. What was holding them back?

"Very good. You'll all be receiving a speech from Headmaster Lionheart in a week's time, but we like to give our initiates a chance to settle in and learn a little before that happens. I'm sure you're all looking forward to learning the arcane arts, after all."

More excited murmuring. Even Ruby nodded along, excited despite her paranoia.

"You'll all be pleased to hear you'll be learning tomorrow, then. Today is for learning the lay of the land and settling in. I shall be leaving you here for now. The wardens will take you to breakfast and explain some of the rules of the Collegium to you there, then take you on a tour of the academy. By the end of the day you will have been signed and assorted to your rooms. Good day to you all and if you should find yourselves choosing the _Emerald Path_, you may well look forward to having me as your teacher. Good luck to you all and I hope you enjoy your time here with us."

Because they were all of them stuck at the Collegium, whether they wished it or not.

"Come on, kids," Coco Adel said, stepping before them. "I can hear those stomachs rumbling already. We're a little late on purpose today so we skip the main rush. Let's us talk without being interrupted. The food hall is usually a lot busier."

Everyone hurried after them and for once Ruby was among the crowd, having long since smelled the fragrant and heady scents from within. Her stomach must have growled the loudest and she wiped a sleeve over her mouth, leaving a trail of drool on the fabric. The food hall smelled like a bakery, butcher and crockpot all mixed into one.

The food hall itself was designed somewhat like a tavern, except that instead of numerous round tables there were four or five long rectangular ones on one side, set with benches along them, and then sets of smaller tables on the other side. All of them were of a rich red wood with cushioned seats and candles – not lit at the early hour – in the centre. There were a couple of older students sat at the smaller tables on the right-hand side of the hall, but as the warden had said it was mostly empty.

Along the back wall, food was stacked up on various trays and tables with three or four people behind them, presumably the cooks. Ruby's mouth watered as she noticed one of the cooks stood with a knife behind a huge, carved chunk of meat. Pork from the smell. She'd had the pleasure to try pork once or twice. It was one of the animals most likely to be slaughtered for meat since it didn't give milk or eggs, but even pigs were beyond what she and Yang could hope to get hold of. It was usually scraps. The trotters if they were lucky, or maybe an ear.

"Alright," Coco said. "Everyone go grab some food and meet on this table." She tapped one of the long bench-tables with a hand. "Yatsu and I will explain the Collegium's rules while you eat."

There was nothing Ruby wanted more than to be at the front of the queue for food, but caution had her waiting somewhere in the middle, not wanting to do something that made her stand out. She watched the boy ahead as he picked up some fruit and laid it on a plate, then took some porridge and moved to the pork.

"I think not," he said, raising a hand toward the portly woman behind it. "I'd rather avoid something so heavy."

What?

How could he say no to food like that? And look so dismissively at the woman offering it? Ruby watched as a few others were the same and even those who accepted a few cuts of pork were, at best, ignoring the woman. Were they that confident they'd get food later?

In the slums, there was a rule. You did not steal from those who made food. You did not insult those who made food. You did not hurt those who made food. You did not upset those who made food. Because if the people who made the food were hurt, robbed or bothered in any way, they might stop making the food!

When it came to her turn to stand before the meat, Ruby almost collapsed. The metal bench it was on was heated somehow, probably a fire beneath. She knew because the meat still crackled a little and some fat had run off to bubble on the surface, causing steam to waft up into her face carrying the thick and fragrant smell of pork.

"Any pork for you, dear?" the woman asked her.

Ruby pushed her plate forward, unable to hide how she licked her lips. "Yes please."

"Oh. Such a polite one. And so thin. Here." The woman cut off _four whole strips_ of pork and laid it on Ruby's plate. The meat was golden brown on the outside and pale brownish pink on the inside with a little fat streaked through it. The portion size was bigger than some of the other initiates received. It paid to be nice to the people who had the food.

"I will," Ruby said, speaking as she only did to the butchers and bakers, a saccharine and light tone. "Thank you, miss."

Cooked meat. Actual meat and not the offal. Ruby wanted to run back to the table and eat it as it was, yet there was more. Following the queue along, she was presented with six different loaves of bread in various colours, some with seeds on top. They had been sliced and laid to rest on their sides. The initiate ahead of her took two from a white loaf. Ruby took one from each, six slices in total, and stacked them on her plate.

"Ugh." A girl beside her turned up her nose. "Are you _really_ going to eat all that?"

"Yep." It only made sense to eat as much as you could when food was abundant. Ruby looked at the other girl's plate to find an apple, an orange and a single slice of bread. "Aren't you going to be hungry?"

"This will more than last me until lunch."

The voice was pompous, even dismissive. The girl was around the same height as her, though much healthier in shape and size. She had pale skin, white hair and bright blue eyes that peered at Ruby's plate with obvious disgust.

_Noble,_ Ruby thought. If the way she spoke didn't make it clear, the pretty silver necklace around her neck did. There was a small white gem in it that had Ruby's fingers itching. If this had been the slums, she'd have snatched it and run. The girl didn't look like she could keep up a sprint for long. As it was, Ruby tore her eyes away and offered what she hoped was a friendly smile.

"I'm Ruby. Nice to meet you."

"Weiss Schnee." The girl politely offered a hand. Ruby took it and tried not to instinctively slip the girl's ring off her finger as she did. "Of the Schnee family. You've no doubt heard of us."

"I have." She hadn't. "Very well known."

"We are. Of course, I'll be the first Arcanist of the family. It was a surprise when the talent was discovered, though father was obviously proud of it. Which family are you from? I didn't catch your family name."

Were all the Arcanists from noble families? The way the girl acted made it seem like it might be. "I'm from the Rose family," she said.

"Rose?" Weiss' brows drew down. "I haven't heard of them…"

"We're not from Vale. I came from Menagerie."

"Menagerie-? The city that fell-?"

"Yeah."

"Then-?" Weiss' eyes grew wide. "Well, it's understandable that I've not heard of your family, then. They were nobles, though? Yes?"

"They were," Ruby said, the lie coming easily. It didn't make sense to say anything else.

"You must be new to Vale, then. Allow me to be one of the first to welcome you. I hope you'll find yourself adjusting to our fair and beautiful city."

Fair and beautiful. Well, Vale could definitely be called one of those things, though not so much the other. The walls between the various quarters – not to mention the drops – went to show just how `fair` the city could be.

Ruby nodded, however, smiling and moving along the food tables as she heaped beans, tomatoes and some strange breaded potato things onto her plate, quickly amassing more food than it could realistically hold. Weiss had begun to look at it with even more disgust, having only added a few vegetables to her own.

It wasn't her business. If Weiss wanted to starve, so be it. Ruby carried her plate back and took an empty spot on the table, far away enough from the wardens to listen in without being seen.

To her surprise, Weiss took the spot next to her.

Weiss settled her plate down and picking up a silver instrument on the table, using it to stab into a piece of vegetable and bring it to her mouth. A quick look down the table showed her that other people were doing the same, so Ruby emulated them.

Normally, she would have eaten with her hands and a knife if there was something that needed cutting. It didn't take her long to get the hang of it and she was soon leaning over the table, shovelling food into her mouth. So good! The meat was so rich and tender. The vegetables were cooked but not mushy! The bread was soft, spongy and didn't have stones hidden in it to make it feel heavier and crack teeth.

"You're eating like a pig!" Weiss hissed, leaning back with one hand over her mouth. "S-Slow down. You're causing a scene!"

"Hah-?" Ruby looked up, some pork dangling from her lips.

People at least four seats up from her were staring, eyes wide, mouths open. They all sat prim and proper, clean and delicate as they picked up morsels with their forks. Ruby's chin was dripping with juice and butter.

Uh-oh.

"Looks like there was a reason you asked about breakfast!" Coco said, laughing at the top of her voice. "Someone didn't get anything to eat last night. Stop staring, you lot. We'll see if you're any different after a hard day casting spells." The distraction saved her, though Weiss still shot her an indignant and disgusted grimace. "Right then, newbloods. You can listen while you eat. You're in the Arcane Collegium now, that means you need to follow the Collegium's rules."

"First of all, now that you're Collegium Arcanists, you have to follow the tenets of the Collegium. These are, in no particular order; Do not use the arcane arts against another Collegium member with intent to harm. Do not use the arcane arts against the city with intent to harm. Follow the laws of any city you inhabit. Do not travel outside a city without alerting the nearby Collegium as to your intent. Do not act in a way that brings disrepute to the Collegium. Do not seek to learn or disseminate the teachings you learn outside of the Collegium. Keep your Arcanum on you at all times."

"These are the core tenets of the Collegium, and though there are many smaller rules, it's these ones you have to remember the most. Once you enter these walls, any and all prior loyalties must come second to the Collegium. We have all been granted a lot of power and you're going to learn some very dangerous spells in the future. The Collegium has to keep a handle on those to stop people misusing them, so I'll tell you now that these tenets are not to be broken. If you do, you may well find yourself in the Sanctum."

Gasps echoed down the table while Ruby choked on a slice of potato, only managing to spit it out when Weiss slammed a fist into her back, still looking absolutely disgusted – especially when Ruby responded by picking back up the potato she'd spat out and eating it again.

"It's the Sanctum for a single broken rule?" someone asked. "Isn't that… a little much, Miss Adel?"

"Coco," the woman corrected. "Not Miss Adel. Never Miss Adel. And these aren't little rules. You show up late for lessons, goof around in class or get into fights with your fellows and you'll be breaking rules. You'll be told off or given chores. Think of these tenets as laws. You murder someone out in the city, you'll be thrown in a cell. You murder a Collegium Member, you'll be thrown in the Sanctum."

"So the bit about using spells on another member…?"

"It'll be based on intent. No one is saying we expect you to never get angry or make mistakes. The rules are strict, I know, but you need to remember that you're Arcanists now. Or will be. We're more powerful than the average person on the street. The only reason they're not afraid of us is because we don't use our abilities for ill. The reason we don't do that is not because we're all perfect and beyond reproach; it's because we govern ourselves. Anyone who breaks a tenet risks pushing Arcanist relations back decades. This isn't a game. Follow the tenets."

There were murmurs down the table, some more worried than others. Ruby memorised the rules as best she could and instantly started to think of ways around them. There were laws in the slums, too, but everyone knew what they meant by laws was that you didn't get _caught_ doing any of those things.

Nothing in the list sounded too bad though, except maybe attacking other Arcanists. Hadn't she broken that already? The rest were obvious enough, though the not learning outside the walls seemed designed to keep them in. She didn't miss that Coco hadn't mentioned anything about not being able to leave. Did that mean she'd forgotten, or was it not a tenet and just a rule?

That was an important distinction. Whether she meant it or not, the warden just admitted that rules could be broken if you accepted punishment. As long as it wasn't a tenet, she could get away with breaking it.

"Alright, you lot. Let's get up and we'll take you on the grand tour."

They all rose to their feet, pushing plates away. Ruby smeared her last bit of bread to collect some juice and shoved it in her mouth, ignoring the gagging sound Weiss made. As the chairs scraped back, one boy patted himself down frantically.

"My pouch is gone." He spun around, touching his waist. "I've been robbed!"

"You sure you didn't forget it?" Coco asked. "Or drop it somewhere?" Seeing the boy's uncertainty, she sighed. "We'll see if anyone has found it at the main desk. Otherwise, you probably lost it somewhere. Make sure to check under the tables before we go."

The boy did, grumbling while others laughed or rolled their eyes. No one actually thought it could be a thief, not in the Arcane Collegium. And besides, someone would have noticed. Ruby tipped the coins out into her own pouch and stashed his down her pants to dispose of later.

Took him long enough to notice.

/-/

"Your days start officially at nine. Each lesson is one to two hours long, and there is a single hour break after for you to travel to your next, rest or prepare any supplies you might need. An hour probably sounds like a long time at this point and will be for a while, but once you start choosing what path you want to follow, you'll be stuck with a lot more prep work between lessons. Not to mention the work gets harder, so you need that break to recover your energy. Take advantage of it as free time for now, newbloods. You'll be longing for free time once you're a couple of years in like me and Yatsu."

"Yatsuhashi and I," the large man corrected. Coco rolled her eyes.

Ruby had to admit she liked the older girl – though `like` might have been a bit much considering she didn't really know her. She was fun though and wasn't as stuffy as she'd expected given her meeting with Watts and the lord scribe the day before. Not as stuffy as Weiss either, who had taken to sniffing at every little thing she did, from wiping grease off onto her sleeve, to yawning through a brief lecture by an Arcanist. In her defence, she'd been awake all night but for a few naps between guard shifts.

The food had her feeling sleepy, too. They'd stopped for a lunch break in the middle, another chance for her to all but collapse over the varied offerings on display. Lunch for Weiss had been a bowl of soup with some bread and a slice of ham and melon. Lunch for Ruby had been four sausages, a heap of steamed cabbage, soup, chunky bread and a cut of lamb soaked in gravy and some minty sauce that had sent her taste buds tingling into the back of her brain.

Even now, Ruby had to hold her stomach with both hands. It was fit to burst, and her burps had not got unnoticed by the proud noble who kept trying to get further and further away from her.

Better out than in as Yang always said.

"You can spend your free time how you like but most people do it outside. The Collegium has a host of amenities for your enjoyment. Toward the back there's even what we call the student village. It's not just for us, but it has a few restaurants, a general store and even a salon. If you want a massage or your hair doing, check it out."

Hm. A salon? Not something she'd ever used, but the people who worked there would be normal people, not Arcanists. They could leave the Collegium. Probably. Could she sneak out if she stole some of their clothes for a disguise?

"There's also the Grand Library, the Gardens and the training rings. Those are where the Collegium Guards do their own exercises. Girls, their mornings runs are at seven sharp and if it's a hot day they go topless. You can thank me later."

Yatsuhashi rolled his eyes while a few girls among the Arcanists tittered at the joke.

"Yeah, you _think_ I'm joking." Coco said. "Check it out sometime. I know I do."

There wasn't a barracks in the slums – the one for the guards who patrolled there was stationed in the Merchant's Quarter and they'd come through the gates – but the west farm tower outside the walls had one, and Ruby knew there were plenty of farm girls who liked to watch the boys train. Ruby had gone along once or twice as well, though more to learn some forms from watching than drool over boys.

Yang was in the latter category, much to Ruby's disgust. Whenever she accused her of that, Yang would just laugh, rub her head and say she'd understand one day. Then she'd go back to leering over sweaty boys and whistling occasionally, trying to see if she could make them falter and get hit. It surprised her that Arcanists would be the same. Maybe that was silly. There had to be young Arcanists before there were old and powerful ones.

It also explained why Coco kept calling them newbloods, which Ruby knew from talking to the guard was what _they_ called their initiates. Coco must have spent a lot more time watching the boys train than she wanted to admit.

"Anyway, you can also head back to the dorm to catch up on rest if you like. There's a much smaller reading room there. Less books than the library, but less stuffy and you're allowed to take food and drink in. You can do what you like in your rooms but be aware that the cleaners will report you if you make too much of a mess. You'll be forced to clean up yourself for a week if that happens."

Ruby raised her hand.

"You don't have to do that with me, newblood," Coco laughed. "What's up?"

_Raise my hand for some, don't raise my hand for others. Why is this all so confusing?_

"Watts told me we'd be put into dorms with other people. Shared rooms."

"Watts?"

"Arcanist Watts," Ruby corrected.

"Can't say I know him, but there are plenty of Arcanists around. He's right, though. Older years get rooms to themselves, as do wardens, but newbloods – sorry, initiates – have to share." The news garnered several protests and complaints. "I know, I know. I didn't like it either, but it's a rule. On the bright side, boys will be with boys and girls with girls. We don't mix and match. You'll get used to it."

"Miss Adel," Weiss called.

"Coco. Or Warden."

"Warden, then." The noble's face was pinched. "Can we not pay extra to have rooms to ourselves? I can easily provide a donation to the Collegium to cover the cost of a room, even with a little extra."

"Are you talking about a bribe?"

"No. A payment. It's only fair to pay for a room."

"Hm. Would be, but I don't make the rules. I'd say it was about fostering teamwork or some such, but I'm fairly sure it's to beat humility into us. Show you all that you're no better or worse than anyone else here; we're all Collegium Arcanists or something like that. So no, sorry. You can't pay extra to escape having to share a room with someone."

Weiss frowned but nodded her head and stepped back. The girl's eyes scanned over others in the crowd, no doubt wondering which she would find acceptable to share a room with. Her eyes passed over Ruby and she grimaced before quickly moving on.

"How will it be decided?" someone else asked. "Can we pick our partners?"

"Don't see why not." Coco said, shrugging. "We can get that out the way now if you like. Right. Anyone who wants to partner with a friend, family member or something else do so. Boys with boys and girls with girls. I don't care if you're brother and sister; I'll be told off if I let you bunk together."

People began to pair up, some having already hung together, probably friends before the Collegium, others gravitating toward people they knew or had gotten to know in the short time they'd spent together. Ruby stayed still, knowing she had no one in either category.

Soon, the numbers began to dwindle. Those that remained partnered up of their own choice, picking someone, anyone, they thought they could get along with. No one did so with her. A few looked her way, but it felt like there were more boys than girls. It might have been that some of the girls thought she was a boy as well, and so didn't bother asking her.

It didn't take long for the number to be brought down to six. Four boys and two girls.

Her and Weiss.

"I-I object!" Weiss cried, looking at Ruby and then away in horror. "This isn't a fair way of choosing dorm assignments. It should be randomly selected."

"Sorry, newblood. I think you've been outvoted on that one." Coco nodded to Yatsuhashi. "You want to sort the boys out and get them placed? I'll handle the girls."

"Hm." The giant of a man walked toward the four remaining boys. "Come. Let us exchange introductions and see if we cannot decide how the four of you shall be split."

"Girls to me," Coco called. "I'll need to register your names and dorm assignments in the book of names. Come on. Let's get this sorted quickly and you can all have the rest of the afternoon to yourselves to explore and settle in."

"Will we get dinner?" Ruby asked.

"You _cannot_ still be hungry!" Weiss shrieked. "It is not humanly possible!"

"Yes, you'll get dinner," Coco laughed. "You don't need to keep asking me that. The only reason you'll miss a meal is if you choose to."

People _chose_ to miss meals...?

"This can't be happening. I'm a Schnee. This isn't fair."

Ruby couldn't say she was looking forward to it either.

/-/

The room they'd been given was easily big enough for two people, yet her new roommate seemed to think otherwise. There were two single beds, one set on either end of the room. Beside them, a small set of wooden drawers, then a bigger chest at the end. There was also a cabinet, one on her side and one on what was quickly becoming Weiss' side of the room.

A single window looked out onto the gardens outside and beyond that, the walls and the city proper. Thin white curtains wafted in the breeze from the open window and everything had been cleaned before their arrival. A single door led to what Ruby assumed was the washroom. Hopefully, there was a copper tub and some wood in there.

"This is ridiculous," Weiss hissed, stomping one foot on the carpeted floor. "This room is more fit for a servant's quarters, and now I have to share it with another? Father would have a fit if he could see this. We're one of the great families and I'm being reduced to the status of a commoner."

A commoner? A commoner would have loved a room like this. It was bigger than what she and Yang had back in the slums, not to mention warmer, cleaner and more comfortable. Ruby lay back on her bed, then winced and rolled onto her side, clutching her stomach.

"And you!" Weiss hissed, rounding on her. "You may be from Menagerie, and I don't claim to know what that city was like, but your actions today have been nothing short of an embarrassment. Are you even listening to me!?"

"Hurts," Ruby whined. "Stomach hurts."

"I'm not surprised! You've eaten enough for five people!"

"Ugh… But it tasted so good…"

"That's no excuse for gorging yourself like a pig. And that's something we need to discuss." Weiss planted her hands on her hips and stood before Ruby's bed. "As much as I hate it, we're stuck together. We have to live with one another for at least the next couple of years. As such, I am willing to be magnanimous and lower my standards to accept you."

"Urp."

"That said! You need to make some alterations to your behaviour. I won't allow anything less. For one, you need to clean yourself up. I can smell you from here. Secondly, no mess in our room. Third, you are not to cross onto my side of the room for anything. Fourth, you will not disturb me when I am studying. Fifth, no guests are to be brought into our dorm without first asking my permission. Sixth, you will-" Weiss cut off. "You're not even listening to me, are you!?"

Ruby moaned pathetically.

"You – You!" Weiss stormed over and grasped her shoulders. "I am _trying_ to introduce some kind of accord between us. When a Schnee deigns to speak to you as an equal, you will respond to the honour accordingly." She shook Ruby harder, rolling her up so she was sat on the edge of the bed. "You will listen when I'm talking to you!"

"I dun feel good…"

"Listen! Rule number one-"

"Urp." Ruby's body trembled. "Uh…"

"-and things might have been different in Menagerie, but you will need to adapt to Vale now. Vale's rules and Vale's standards."

Ruby's hand fisted in Weiss' robe. "Bucket…"

"Bucket? What are you going on about now? Why would I have a bucket of all things, and where would I hope to find one in a dormitory? And I'm not your servant! If you want something, you can go fetch it yourself. I am Weiss Schnee, proud second heiress of the Schnee dynasty and twenty-seventh in line to the throne of Vale. I do _not_ fetch buckets for people. I-"

Ruby's body gave up the fight. Her back arched, her mouth opened. Breakfast, lunch and dinner roared their way upward, outward and down the front of Weiss' immaculate robes as she stood before Ruby, eyes wide, mouth open, horrified and dripping with vomit.

Weiss screamed.

* * *

**First impressions are important. Ruby is good at those.**

**I wanted to slow down a little now that the original tension re Ruby being a Wildmage has happened. The temptation was to continue at the same speed, but I decided I'd rather take my time with introducing Weiss and forming a wonderful working relationship between her and Ruby.**

**Oh, wait. Ruby is pulling a Jaune. Whoops.**

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**Next Chapter: 16****th**** July**

**P a treon . com (slash) Coeur **


	7. Chapter 7

**Here's Arcanum! To those asking why it takes so long for this to upload… well, for one) two weeks isn't long. Back in my day (Grandpa Coeur moment) if I found a fic I liked, I could end up waiting six **_**months**_** for the bugger to upload, if it did at all! You whipper snappers don't know how good you got it.**

**Ahem. But the main reason this is every two weeks is because that is what my Tuesday slots are for. When another story finishes, Arcanum will be moved to that story's slot and become weekly. That could take a while, though.**

* * *

**Chapter 7**

* * *

Ruby woke up with the taste of death in her mouth, rolled out of bed and thudded onto the floor. She was about to whisper for Yang, only to feel the soft rug under her face and recall she was in the Collegium. On a bed nearby, rolled over and wanting nothing to do with her, Weiss slept.

There were towels on the floor covering splotches of yesterday's dinner.

A rumble in her gut told her she was still not her best. Ruby clutched herself and moaned weakly, eyes flickering about in the low light of early dawn. Where was a chamber pot when you needed one? Not under the bed where it should be, that was where! Gritting her teeth, she crawled over to Weiss' bed, ignoring all warnings never to trespass, and rummaged around under there as well. Nothing.

Her eyes fixed on the door leading to the washroom.

The cool tiles of the washroom were refreshing, especially as she crawled across them dragging her face on the floor like a worm. The bath was out, and she wasn't about to figure out how to carry that downstairs. There still wasn't a chamber pot to see, but there was a privy made of some white pottery-like material. The problem was that it didn't have a hole in the bottom to take anything away. It was just a bucket.

Ruby's stomach roiled. There was no time to waste.

"Uwagh…"

/-/

There was nothing like getting sick out of your system to feel better. Next to that, a wash in the river was just what the herbalist ordered. Tugging her robes over her head and leaving herself in a cream blouse and brown hose, she waded into the river, shivering in delight when the icy water splashed over and chilled her to the bone. Compared to the nausea that had been threatening her the night before, the shock was a welcome one.

Ducking under the water, she soaked and ran her fingers through her hair, coming back up and shaking it off, already feeling better than she had.

"Man, I_ told _you someone was dipping in the river."

Ruby's head perked up as she heard the voice and looked to the riverbank. _Guards_, was her first thought, except that it wasn't perfectly accurate. The two boys wore the uniform and leather armour of the Collegium Guards, but they lacked the tabards, wore no helmets and were unarmed. They were also young, very young and not even sporting hair on their chins.

"Nice day for a swim, eh?" The one who spoke was a faunus with blond hair and a tail swinging behind him. He had a smile full of teeth that was, for once, not meant for her in a sinister manner. If anything, he seemed friendly. Ruby was instantly suspicious.

_No, wait. They think I'm an Arcanist now. They think I'm a noble or something._

"I thought it was just us newbloods who had to wake up at the crack of dawn. Looks like there's an initiate taking after us." He wiped a theatrical tear from his eye. "I'm so proud to have inspired the next generation of Arcanists."

"Don't be an idiot," the other – also blonde, but human and rather nervous-looking – said, elbowing his friend in the side. He also looked friendly, though less confident about it. "Sorry about that. We're up early for morning training and this guy thought he saw someone in the river. We wanted to make sure no one was drowning and-" He cut off with a choke. "Sun! What are you doing!?"

"What?" the faunus, Sun apparently, had already removed his leather cuirass and was now pulling his burgundy tunic up over his head. Ruby couldn't help but notice his abs and think Yang would have liked to be where she was at that moment. "Still an hour until training. This guy has the right idea."

So saying, the faunus tossed his tunic aside, kicked off his boots and dove into the water in just his breeches. He made a loud splash and cut through the current, coming back up on his back and spitting out crystal clear water.

"Damn, that's cold!" he laughed. "Come on, Jaune. It feels great."

The other boy looked around nervously. There was no one around at the early hour – only the guards on the gates and walls, and she'd chosen her spot away from those. The initiates in the dorms were all fast asleep. After a few seconds realising that, he shrugged and followed the example of Sun, undressed down to his underclothes and walking into the water a little more gingerly.

"Ayeee," Sun cheered. "That's the spirit. Feels good, yeah?"

"Would feel better _after_ training," the boy replied, though not without a smile. "Cold water on sore muscles. Still, you're right. This is nice." His eyes flicked over to Ruby. "Still a little surprised to see an Arcanist up at this hour, though. Your guys lessons aren't until nine, right?"

Ruby nodded.

"Oh, we haven't introduced ourselves." The boy stepped a little closer. "I'm Jaune, Jaune Arc. This is my friend Sun Wukong. We're both newbloods in the Collegium Guard."

"Can't believe they still call us newbloods," Sun said defensively, earning a roll of the eyes from his friend. "We've been training two years now. Why aren't we oldbloods? Middlebloods? I hate being lumped in with the new kids."

"You can complain to Lieutenant-Commander Winchester if you like."

"Eh. No thanks. I'd rather not be running laps around the Collegium until my legs fall off." Sun laughed it off and looked at her. "What about you?" he asked. "What's your name?"

"Ruby."

"Ruby?" Jaune tested the name. "That's… an interesting name."

Sun snorted. "What he means is it's a girl's name."

"Well, yeah." Ruby rolled her eyes, standing up, grabbing her blouse and squeezing it to make some of the water drain out. That also had the effect of showing some of her stomach and making her blouse tighten, showing off the barest hint of curves to her chest.

It also made the very wet and very much see-through material cling to her chest. She hadn't worn any underclothes or bindings since she knew she was going to get wet.

"I _am_ a girl."

Jaune and Sun choked. They spun with loud splashes, babbling words she could barely understand. It was all too loud and high-pitched. Ruby stared at their bare backs, confused. Eventually, their ranting became more understandable, mostly when Jaune cried out. "You're a girl!?"

"Yes." She rolled her eyes. It wasn't _that_ hard to figure out. "Why are you both looking away?"

"B-Because you're a girl!" Sun said. "Because you're naked."

Naked? Ruby looked down at herself. Leather hose and a blouse. Her feet were bare, and sure, she'd heard some really weird bards talk about poetry around a woman's ankles, but she hadn't taken that seriously. Her feet were underwater, too.

"No, I'm not."

"W-Well, not naked," Sun amended. "But your blouse has gone all see-through."

"And what, you've never seen someone's chest before?"

"J-Just put some clothes on," Jaune begged. "Please."

Ruby sighed but did as asked, being done with her bath anyway. She didn't see what they were so worked up about herself, people bathed in the river all the time down in the slums and it wasn't like you could expect to find a spot alone. She'd washed in front of guys, girls, children, adults and the elderly since she was young. It was just a thing you did. Sometimes, it was too much trouble to haul water back and heat it up, especially when that meant walking through the slums with your hands occupied. It was asking to be mugged.

Padding up onto the grassy bank, Ruby peeled her wet top off and let it fall with a splat on the grass, then pulled her robes up over her body, letting them fall to her feet before reaching under and pushing her soaked hose down as well.

"I'm dressed." she called, sitting down on the bank to dry off.

The two boys turned. Their eyes fell on her, looking at her grey-robed form with pale feet poking out the bottom, then her wet clothes nearby. Jaune went red and looked away – which was weird again. Yes, she knew what sex was, but she was about as covered as you could get, and in a thick grey robe no less.

"You're naked under there. Aren't you?"

"Yep." Ruby shrugged, not seeing the problem. "Isn't everyone naked under their clothes?"

"Y-Yes, but… I just… argh." Jaune dipped down to hide his red face in the water, keeping his nose and eyes above. He mumbled something that came out as bubbles on the surface. His friend, Sun, was a little more in control, though also a little red.

"You're a confidant one, aren't ya? Not many would skinny dip right outside the dorms."

"I needed a wash."

"Why not use the bath?"

Because it didn't make sense! Because it couldn't be carried downstairs to fill with water, there was no room for a fire to be lit to heat it up and because she wasn't going to fill and empty it glass by class.

Also, the washroom smelled of vomit.

"I prefer the outdoors."

"Yeah, I get you there. Come on, Jaune, man up. She's fine, we're fine. Stop looking like a tomato." Sun waded over to his friend and hauled him up. "Not like she's going to tell on us and get us in trouble, right?"

The last bit was aimed at her, she was sure. Ruby shrugged, unsure what they'd get into trouble for, let alone why she'd be the one to rat on them. She could count the number of times she'd told a guard about a crime on no hands.

You didn't snitch in the slums and get away with it.

"I won't tell."

"See? She's good. We're good." Sun turned to her. "You might want to be careful about swimming in the river in future, though. Some of the people here are pretty old-fashioned and wouldn't like the idea of a girl being so undressed around us guys."

Oh, goodie. Those types. Ruby knew them, a few living on the farms outside the walls. They'd given her grief in the past for wearing trousers and not a dress. Usually accompanied with shouts of how she'd `never find a man and settle down` if she acted like that.

"I'll be fine," she said. "Besides, no one wakes up this early."

"Guards do," Sun pointed out.

"No, they don't. The next change of shift is in two hours, so I have an hour before anyone walks this way."

Sun and Jaune stared at her.

"You, uh, know the guard shifts already?" Jaune asked. "That's kind of impressive. And worrying."

"It was to let me have a swim without them seeing," she lied.

"Ah. That makes sense. We'll not tell if you don't tell."

Finally, something she understood. Mutual lying and covering one another for the benefit of all. Ruby smiled happily and nodded, making a gesture with her hand that they probably didn't understand, but which in the slums meant a universal agreement. "No one will find out from me," she said, putting it to words. "You two are guards, then?"

"In training." Sun slapped a hand to Jaune's chest. "It's a long-term kind of thing becoming a Collegium guard."

"Does that mean you can go outside the walls?"

"Yep!" Sun said it proudly, standing tall with hands on his hips. "We've been here two years now – starting our third soon. We can take leave outside the walls and even be sent on missions now. We're strong enough for it."

So, the guards could leave at will as long as they'd been at the Collegium a while. That was good to know. Sun and Jaune could be useful for her to get out and find Yang. The sun was rising, though, and she could hear some noise over by the older initiate's dorm. They'd be up and about soon.

"I should go." She stood and picked up her wet clothes. "Where can I find you to talk?"

"Eh? You want to?" Jaune sounded surprised.

Sun grinned and slapped his chest.

"O-Oh, right." Jaune flushed. "Well, we hang around the barracks most of the day. We train early morning and a lot of initiates come to watch that. You could always talk to us after. Other than that, we have free time in the evenings."

"You wanna give her your timetable and life history as well?" Sun teased.

Jaune's face burned with colour and he punched Sun in the arm. Ruby laughed. In a way, they reminded her of home. They were nowhere near as crass as Yang and the Malachites could be, but compared to prissy Arcanists like Weiss, they were downright dirty. She liked it. At the very least, they weren't nobles. That instantly made them easier to get along with.

Saying her goodbyes, she padded back to the dorms and snuck inside. A few people were up, but they didn't pay any attention to her. With her robes covering her from shoulder to her toes, they couldn't even tell what she was or wasn't wearing underneath. _Really don't see what those two were so worked up about. They even said I looked like a boy, so it's not like they saw anything._

By the time she reached her and Weiss' shared room, Weiss was awake.

And angry.

"You left sick in the bowl!" she howled, shaking Ruby by her shoulders.

"M-M-Morning, Weiss."

"EXPLAIN YOURSELF!"

"It's morning? You're Weiss? I was trying to be polite."

"Not the-" Weiss snarled like a wild animal. "The washroom! The vomit! Why!?"

"I couldn't throw it out the window." The choking sound Weiss made warned her she might have said something wrong. "And I didn't know what to do with it. I figured a servant would come and clean it up later."

It seemed like something nobles would have those poor bastards do. Alongside feeding them, wiping their behinds and otherwise bowing and scraping to their every demand. Not that she'd ever _seen_ a servant or a noble before the Collegium, but it was just one of those things you knew.

"Why didn't you spell it away!?"

Ahah! So, it _was_ magic! "I don't know the spell."

"You… you…" Snarling again, Weiss grabbed Ruby by her robe and dragged her into the washroom, pushing her up against the wall by the privy and pointing down at it. It was empty, clean and, to Ruby's surprise, smelling rather fresh. "Watch," Weiss snapped. "Imagine this bowl is full right now. Once it is, you touch this-" Weiss pressed her hand to a silvery stud on the top, "-and the enchantment senses your body heat. It then causes anything in the bowl to be transported away."

There was a rush of water and fresh air in the bowl, like a miniature whirlpool appearing from nowhere. It vanished a moment later, leaving the bowl clean. Suddenly, there was a rush of clean air that followed, before that ended as well.

"Whoah…"

"Whoah? Whoah!? Did they not have basic sanitary spells in Menagerie!?"

"I didn't actually get to _go_ to Menagerie," Ruby reminded her, falling back on what she quickly realised was going to become a recurring excuse. "Maybe they did, but I never got to see one. So this gets rid of pee and poop as well?"

"Yes." Weiss had the horrified expression of a woman who just realised her roommate didn't know this but knew she _must_ have relieved herself sometime in the last twenty-four hours. "Don't tell me," Weiss snapped, eyes closed. "I don't want to know. And we must be up soon. We have breakfast in half an hour and our first lessons in two. At least you're not lazily sleeping in. That's _one_ good trait, at least."

"Breakfast?" Ruby's eyes lit up.

"Just greedy." Weiss shook her head and stormed out the washroom. "I can't believe you're excited for food after you ate to the point of throwing up. Couldn't you show at least a little poise? I have a reputation to maintain and you're going to ruin it!"

"You don't _have _to spend time with me," Ruby pointed out, stepping from the washroom and into the bedroom area. She peeled her damp robes off, ignoring Weiss' presence. The girl spun on her heel, giving her space with wide eyes. She ignored her, picking out some fresh underclothes and a dry robe. "You can go spend time with your other friends."

"T-That would not be fair; to leave you on your own, that is. You are new to Vale and as one of the ruling elite it is my responsibility to help you get used to life here." Weiss shuffled. "Are you decent?"

"I'm dressed if that's what you mean."

"Good." Weiss turned, breathing a sigh of relief when Ruby was indeed in full uniform, a grey initiate robe over a blouse and some hose, with flat shoes and her Arcanum pinned to her breast. Weiss' was the same, though her Arcanum was the one of Vale. "Today will be out first lessons," she said, a little excitement creeping in. "I cannot wait to see what mysteries will be laid before us."

"Hm. Me too."

That, at least, they could agree on. Weiss smiled tentatively at her.

Ruby's stomach grumbled. "But can we solve the mystery of whether we get food first?"

"Glutton! Pig! I can't believe you!"

/-/

Their first lesson. Ruby would have skipped into the room if she wasn't so full. Instead, she crept in at the back of their pack, led once more by their Warden, Coco Adel. She'd been chatty since the moment she collected them, telling them once more that she or Yatsuhashi would be taking them to their lessons until they got a grasp for the timetable and layout of the school building.

School. Classes. The very concept was still mindboggling. This would be the first time she'd ever attended something like this. Yang had taught her everything she knew, and Summer taught Yang. What they didn't know, someone would show them how to do if they did something for them in kind. Favour for favour, payment for knowledge. Yang had learned how to sew by defending a seamstress and pricking her fingers until they bled. She'd then taught Ruby in the same manner, until both of them were bloody and annoyed but able to sew up their own clothes.

The idea that people would be taught for nothing was kind of strange. Knowledge was expensive, wasn't it? A craftsman didn't want to pass that on to anyone other than their apprentice, because that person might then open a shop in competition. Most craftsmen tried to keep their secrets within the family. You either taught it to a son or daughter, or you taught it to an apprentice who you really tried to convince to _marry_ said son or daughter.

Maybe magic was different, or maybe they had the security of knowing the students couldn't go and use that magic just about anywhere. Whatever the case, she wasn't sure what she expected coming in, but found a rather large and well-lit room with steepled windows on one side, a large desk at the back with a man behind it, and a number of benches risen upon step-like stone columns. It created a sort of sloped-up seating arrangement reminiscent of the theatre houses in the Merchant and Noble Quarters. She'd snuck in and watched a play once in the Merchant's Quarter.

It had been pretty boring honestly. Hopefully, learning magic would be better.

"Greetings," the teacher called. He was a rather tall person with bright green hair and rimmed glass things on his nose. "I am Arcanist Oobleck and welcome to your first lesson in the Arcane Academy. Warden Adel, thank you for bringing the initiates here."

"No problem, Arcanist." Coco bowed her head, then turned to them. "Now, if you little tykes will excuse me, I need to get to my own lessons. Wait outside once this one is done and I or Yatsu will come and pick you up."

"Thank you." The Arcanist, Oobleck, gestured to the seats. "Be seated and we shall begin."

Ruby looked up at the seats and naturally moved toward the back, putting her firmly at the highest point and the furthest to the side. It left her closest to the door. Weiss grumbled and stepped up to sit next to her, complaining about how they were so far away from the lesson that they wouldn't hear anything.

_You didn't have to come sit with me…_

"Silence please!" Oobleck called, holding his arms apart. The class quickly became quiet, eager for their first lesson. "Thank you." He dropped his arms and smiled. "Again, I am Bartholomew Oobleck, an Arcanist of the Brown and Blue Arcana, and a teacher at this academy. As your first instructor, allow me to welcome you all formally. I hope you will enjoy your time here as much as I did at your age."

"Now, while there are many rules and laws you will be learning in your first few weeks here, we do prefer to start with something practical. Don't worry," he added, "It won't be dangerous, and the exercise will help you learn to control your magic. That is the key to this exercise."

He turned and picked up some chalk, using it to write some scribbles on the board.

Ruby had no idea what it meant.

"Control!" he barked, placing the chalk down with a click. "Control is the single most important thing you can learn to become a better Arcanist. Every spell we cast relies on a degree of fine control. Let me provide an example." Oobleck held out his hand. "_Gather flame; a fire that burns within my hand."_

Ruby leaned forward, along with the rest of the class. With a flicker of light, almost like a spark being struck, a fire sprung to life in the palm of Oobleck's hand, floating perhaps an inch or two above it and burning without fuel. Was it hot? Did it still give heat? Ruby stared at it, excited.

"This is a rather simple spell that summons fire, as you can see. Now, let me give you an idea of what happens if you do not have fine control and put too little into this." He brought his hand forward and the flame shrunk, sputtering weakly. "Think of your magic as fuel for the fire. Too little and you create an ember, too much and, well…"

The flame leapt up, burning bright and fearsome for a few seconds, before diminishing back to a stable size and shape. Some in the audience gasped and made sounds of appreciation. Ruby was among them despite her earlier thoughts to stay quiet.

Laughing, Oobleck waved his hand and dispelled it.

"As you can see, learning how much to put into a spell is only one part of the equation. The other is having the fine control necessary to put in the right amount and no more. Early in your careers, you'll no doubt be upping and lowering the amount, finding the right balance through trial and error. Once you are more experienced in your spells, you'll start to know exactly how much you need and that won't be necessary. Practice makes perfect, ladies and gentlemen, but you won't be practicing with _fire_, believe me on that. We don't want any of you to burn the dorms down this early."

The audience laughed but Ruby didn't. That really was a danger, wasn't it? All it would take was someone dicking around with fire spells in their dorm and the whole school would go up. _They probably have ways to track and prevent that. Or maybe it's like the washroom and the dorm becomes swamped with water if it sets on fire._

"You shall be practicing with these today." Oobleck brought out a small box of what looked like white balls with hollow holes in them. He gave the box to someone on the front row. "Please take one and pass the rest along. These are enchanted objects created by some of the older students here. Quite simply, they are balls that will float if you push magic energy – oftentimes known as _mana_ – into them. You do not need to incant a spell or focus on _what_ you are doing; you need only push mana into the ball, and it will float."

As an example, he held out his palm and presumably did as he said. The ball hopped up to hover in place beside his head. Though it was hard to tell for sure, it looked like air was pushed out of the holes in the ball to keep it up.

"Too little energy and it falters." The ball dipped. "Too much and it goes high." The ball pinged up like an arrow shot from a bow. It fell to the floor and bounced, caught a moment later by the Arcanist, who made it float around his head. "Fine control will let you do even more with it, but for now I want you to just get a feel for how much is too much and how little is too little. If you can, try to make it hover – but experiment. If you find it easy to hover, try to change the height and hover again. Or make it bounce, roll or move around a little. They're sturdy little things, so don't be afraid of dropping them."

Weiss took one for herself and then pushed the box to Ruby. There were a few left, and she took one, then handed the box to someone in front, who passed it back down toward the Arcanist. A few people on the front rows were already playing around. A ball pinged off the ceiling and fell to the floor. The girl who had done it winced and looked to Oobleck, but he only smiled and gestured for her to go collect it.

Permission given, everyone else began to play with their magic.

Ruby turned the ball over between her fingers. It was made of wood painted white, carved with little holes like a lattice structure. Inside, something made of stone or iron was suspended by several wooden spokes. It glowed faintly and she could feel something going on in there.

_That must be the enchantment thing. It takes magic and makes it into air? I guess the wood is just so we can hold it, or maybe to stop it chipping when it falls._

Curiously, she pushed a little of her `mana` into the thing, forcing it up through her palm. The ball bounced, jumping up two feet and falling back down. Ruby caught it with a grin and repeated the process. It bounced up and down.

"Hmm. Hmmm!" Weiss' brow was creased, face scrunched up as she concentrated on the ball. Unlike those of the people in front, she had managed to make it hover somewhat in place, though it dipped up and down and wavered like it might fall.

"Wonderful!" Arcanist Oobleck exclaimed. "Truly wonderful control."

Weiss' face was split with a smile.

"Miss Rose, is it?"

"What!?" Weiss shrieked.

Ruby looked back with a raised eyebrow, her white ball floating in circles around her head while her hands were flat on the table. It kept itself at the perfect height and didn't once falter, orbiting slowly and then quickly, speeding up and slowing down as she willed it to. "This is a lot easier than I thought it would be," she said.

Weiss' ball dropped out the air and bounced along the table.

"Wonderful control, Miss Rose. I've never seen someone grasp this exercise so quickly. Simply marvellous." He clapped his hands together. "Can you make it stop in front of your forehead?"

Ruby blinked and focused her eyes on that spot. The ball stopped its spiral and arched up over her head, rolling across her hair until it came to a stop literally pressed against her head. It then pushed out with a small burst of air, cool against her skin, to float a few inches in front of her.

"Incredible! Well done, Miss Rose."

She couldn't help but beam; it wasn't everyday someone praised her, other than her sister. Seeing the Arcanist before her clapping with such a warm smile had her all tingly inside and she giggled. He was alright, she supposed. Maybe this `school` thing wouldn't be all that bad.

"How are you doing that?" Weiss hissed once Oobleck called for everyone else to keep trying. "How did you grasp it so quickly? That's unfai- Impossible."

"Heh?" Ruby blinked as her ball whipped up and balanced atop her finger. "What do you mean? It's easy."

Weiss' face burned with colour. "Explain!"

"It does what you want." For emphasis, Ruby made it dance and weave between the fingers of her hand. "You just tell the ball what you want it to do and it does it. I wanted it to hover in the air and it did. I don't get why everyone else is finding it so hard."

"That's not how magic works at all! You can't just _will_ it to do what you want."

"Why not? I did."

"It's… it's…" Weiss' ball fell and bounced on the desk again. Her eyes scrunched shut and she trembled. "You're mocking me. You're mocking me for not being able to do this."

"I'm not-"

"You are!" she accused, eyes snapping open. "Magic doesn't work through will; it works through control. You have to push the _exact_ amount of mana required into this and stabilise the flow at every opportunity. To make it do what yours is doing, you'd have to concentrate on which direction you want the air to flow out, at what speed and for how long."

Ruby hadn't needed to do any of that. She'd just looked at the ball, decided where she wanted it and pushed her mana into it. The thing was only too happy to do what she asked, little concentration required.

"To make it roll over your head, you needed to push air from the bottom, then change the angle as the ball rolled, making it blow from each hole one at a time until it reached the crown of your hair and rolled down." Weiss bit her lip. "And then you let it fall on its own and pinned it to your forehead with a blast of air going the opposite way?" It was more a question than a statement. "I don't understand how you could do that."

Neither did Ruby. Nothing of what Weiss had said was true.

"You've done this before. Haven't you!?" Weiss snapped to the only conclusion she could. "You already know how to do this!"

"Heh heh." Ruby laughed and looked away. "Y-You got me…"

An explosive sigh escaped the noble, who slumped back and glared at Ruby. "You- I can't believe you. And I got all worked up for nothing. Don't mock me like that again. I won't have it."

"Sorry. I thought it would be funny."

Grumbling, Weiss rolled her eyes and went back to her ball, cupping it between her hands and focusing intently on it. The object rose up, shaky still but better than it had been before. It was clear from the sweat on her brow that Weiss had to put intense effort into it. Looking over, Ruby saw that same concentration on the faces of every student there.

All except for her.

Swallowing, Ruby let her ball fall to the desk. It bounced loudly, making a constant pinging noise as it reached the edge of the desk and then fell to the floor. Arcanist Oobleck looked her way, along with a few other students.

"Whoops." Ruby laughed and rubbed her head. "Lost concentration for a second."

The teacher smiled at her, buying the lie.

/-/

"Eat slower or you'll be sick again."

"Smorry-"

"And don't eat with your mouth full!"

Ruby swallowed and repeated the apology again, wondering for the tenth time why Weiss continued to eat with her if she hated it so much. It might have had something to do with the dining halls being absolutely full of people and space limited. While the first two meals of the day were spaced out with younger students eating later on both accounts, dinner was universal between the years, meaning every student at the academy could be in the hall at once.

It certainly felt that way; the long tables were full of people and the queues for food had been ridiculous. If it wasn't for Weiss, she'd have pushed ahead. Apparently, that was impolite. Stupid Weiss and her stupid rules.

"Today was interesting, was it not?" Weiss picked at her much smaller plate with a fork. "I particularly liked the talk on the potentials of healing magic – the Green Arcana. Have you put any thought into which you'll be following?"

Ruby swallowed, knowing she'd be told off otherwise. "Nope."

"None?"

"Don't know them all yet."

"I suppose." Weiss let it go. "I read ahead, so I'm a little more knowledgeable. I can find you a book on them in the library if you'd like."

Ruby panicked and nearly choked. "N-No. I'm fine."

"No? I'm only trying to- No, fine. Forget it." Weiss huffed. "I'm sure we'll have lessons on the various Colour Arcana later. I'm not sure myself what I want to specialise in. It's a big decision. Once you pick your two, you can't choose another."

"Seems silly," Ruby mumbled. "What if people change their mind?"

"W-Well, they can't. It teaches us to be decisive."

"Still seems silly. Why not teach us everything?"

"Because we'd never have the time to master _everything_," Weiss drawled. "It takes a decade to become proficient in a given Arcana, even two or three to truly master the spells within it. That's why so many people just choose to focus on a few key spells. Healing _does_ seem interesting, but I'm not sure it's for me. It feels so… so boring."

Boring? Healing? Ruby could think of hundreds of people who would beg on hands and knees for someone to heal themselves or their loved ones. It definitely didn't sound boring to her. It wasn't as flashy as the Red Arcana – the only other one Ruby knew of, the Gem Colour dedicated to combative magic – but flashy didn't always mean useful.

"I want to know about all the colours before I pick one," Ruby said.

"I can respect that. And I can respect your enthusiasm for the lessons here too," she said, shooting Ruby a sideways look. "Despite your… rather brusque mannerisms and frankly _disgusting_ eating habits, you performed well in classes. You struggled in the later ones on sensing magic and reacting to it in time to avoid being hit, but your control in Arcanist Oobleck's class was impressive."

Weiss was referring to a later class they'd had with a fat Arcanist named Port, in which he'd attempted to teach them to _sense_ magic by blindfolding them and shooting harmless spells at them. They were to either turn in the direction of the spell or, if possible, to dodge it. There were varying degrees of success from the students, Weiss identifying but being unable to dodge. Ruby performed worse, missing more than a few.

"Yeah, sensing it was hard."

"You'll do better, I'm sure. As my roommate and my peer, a lot of attention will be focused on you. It is good that you're willing and prepared to learn." Weiss preened a little. "And, of course, I will be more than willing to help you learn to better sense the magic being used around you. It is expected of one in my position to aid those less fortunate."

"Ha ha. Yeah."

Ruby didn't bother to point out she could sense a spell being used behind her, or another further on – or that she could feel an enchantment on the table they were eating on and even the plates. That she could feel the traces of magic all over the school.

Or that she'd felt each and every spell Arcanist Port cast long before it reached her. That she'd grasped _every_ lesson they'd been to so easily that she could have been the best performing student throughout the day. Her control, senses and reserves were so much higher than those of the other first-year students, Weiss included.

Magic came easily to her.

Too easily.

* * *

**If people are looking for my "where you got inspiration from" idea for the colour gem and Arcana ideas, it's basically a mix of DnD "Schools of Magic" mixed with Warhammer Fantasy "Wind of Magic". Lore of Beasts, Heavens, Fire, etc, but represented with colours. I'm sure a hundred different books have done this, etc. It's hardly shocking or new, but then what can be in a genre like this? There must be hundreds of novels about magic schools. **

**So far, the Arcanas we've seen are:**

**Red Arcana: Combat **

**Green Arcana: Healing**

**More `Arcana` will be introduced as the story goes on, though we've already seen `Blue`, `Brown` and `White` gems I think. And Blake obviously has her specialisation, though Ruby wasn't aware enough to spot any Arcanum on Blake. **

**On Ruby's `looking like a boy` I've tried to make it super clear (and I think most people got it) that this is due to her malnourishment, with a minor bonus being from her attitude (people at the Academy are used to Noble women like Weiss, all grace, femininity, etc). **

**I know that Ruby in the show has a feminine figure, but this Ruby is skin and bones and underdeveloped due to a terrible diet and poor lifestyle. She and Yang are street urchins and Ruby's hair is cut short. It would be no exaggeration to say Ruby's figure at the moment would be reminiscent to someone suffering from anorexia. **

**Believe me, she is going to grow now that she has good food.**

**Well, as long as she doesn't keep gorging so much she throws up.**

**P.s. I know people want to know what is happening re Yang, the hunt for the Wildmage in the slums, etc. That's next chapter.**

* * *

**Next Chapter: 30****th**** July**

**P a treon . com (slash) Coeur **


	8. Chapter 8

**Hey all. I mentioned in SWS that I would need a week off in August and I finally have the dates. Just going to mention it in my fics this week and leading up to it. That date is 15****th**** August – 21****st****. Not really a full week, but there you go.**

**It won't affect the next chapter of this, but will hit a chapter of SWS after it, which will push that back and thus push chapter 10 of this a week back. If in doubt, the dates at the bottom will always be accurate. Usually. Only not when I make a stupid mistake and miswrite a month.**

* * *

**Chapter 8**

* * *

Coco hadn't been lying about the early morning training for the guards. Throngs of girls in initiate robes drawn provocatively low congregated on patches of grass, between flowers or hid shyly behind trees before a large and open patch of ground marked with wooden posts driven down into the soil.

On the other side of it, a group of eighty to ninety young men and women were running around a track, circling around Collegium guards in armour who marked the corners. Their boots would echo loudly when they came by the watching initiates, then drift off as they ran the rest of the way, skirting by the grand wall and the barracks there, before completing a lap again and running past.

At those points, the guards – newbloods – would puff out their chests, hold their heads high and smile dashingly for the audience. Several girls swooned and some had already taken to calling out support for a few. Seeing Jaune among the crowd flagging toward the back, Ruby shrugged and yelled out.

"Go on Jaune! Win!"

He looked over, wide eyed, stumbled and nearly fell. Sun caught him with one arm and said something that earned him an embarrassed glare from Jaune. The two ran on, Jaune with a slightly shy smile as he waved at her. A few of the initiates watching followed his gaze and began to whisper among themselves.

"Already staking your claim?" a familiar voice asked. Coco patted the grass next to her, inviting Ruby to sit down. She did. "Damn, but you move fast girl. You've been here what, five days? And you've already snagged one of the guards."

"Snagged…?"

"Ha. Playing coy? I get that." Coco pushed her feet out and turned back to the running boys. They were sweaty and topless, with the female guards also topless but wearing bindings around their breasts. Their skin, muscled and oily with sweat, shone. "This is the _real_ way to wake up in the Collegium," Coco breathed. "Sunlight may be a balm for the soul, food a balm for the body – but this? Let's just say the eyes need a little healing as well. And something else. But I'm sure you know all about that, don't you?"

Ruby rolled her eyes. Yeah, she knew exactly what they were talking about. Yang had as good as said the same many times. Jaune, Sun and the other boys looked a lot more fit than the guards outside the walls. Then again, it made sense the city would keep everything of high quality further up for the nobles to enjoy, even if that something was sweaty flesh and tight muscles.

"Do you watch every morning?" she asked Coco.

"Nah. Just most. Five out of seven. Six if I can swing it."

_That's as good as every morning…_

"Don't look at me like that. Not everyone is as forward as you. Anyway, I've been meaning to talk to you about something."

Ruby leaned back nervously. "About what…?"

"Just about you and your roommate."

Not her `prodigal skills` that she'd been doing her best to hide. The tension slipped out of her. "Oh. Okay. What about?"

"It's… well…" Coco scratched her cheek and looked away. "This isn't something I like having to do, but it's part of being a Warden and the Arcanists will come down on my ass if I don't. You and your roommate; you've had a few complaints, mostly about the noise."

"No one has said anything to us."

"I am. Right now."

"But you're not the one bothered by it."

"Admittedly…"

"Then why didn't they come to us?" If someone thought they were being too noisy, why go to Coco? It had to be someone in a room nearby, so it would even be quicker to come complain to their door. What was the point in _not_ doing so? "Who complained?"

"I'm not really allowed to tell you that. Just try and tone it down, yeah? I know suddenly living with someone is hard, but people around you have to sleep. If you keep causing trouble, I'll have to tell the Arcanists and then you'll get in trouble."

Ruby leaned back. "What kind of trouble?"

"Calm, girl. Lines, detention, speeches to tell you off. Nothing of what _you're_ obviously thinking."

Nothing to worry about, then. Ruby nodded but didn't really agree to anything. It was more an `I understand` kind of thing, even if she didn't. Nobles were weird. If you had a problem with someone, why not just tell them? It wasn't like she and Weiss were unreasonable. Well, not like _she_ was unreasonable.

"So, onto juicier topics. You and tall, blonde and chiselled from iron."

"Jaune?"

Ruby had to look again to make sure. Jaune _was_ quite ripped as he ran by, also quite red as he noticed her intense gaze on him and picked up the pace, pushing to the front of the pack. Compared to the guys in the slums he was like one of those marble statues of ancient warriors. But if she was going to go on muscles then Sun was probably better. Maybe Sun was steel and Jaune was iron. Yeah, that worked.

"That's the one. How did _that_ work out? How did you meet?"

"We swam in the river together."

"Hah-?" Coco looked behind them. "This river? Or before the Collegium? You childhood friends?"

"This one, and it was two days ago. He caught me swimming before anyone woke up, and he and Sun took off their armour and jumped in with me."

"Both…?" Coco was leaning forward, eyes wide, lips parted. "T-Took off their armour?"

"Sure. Not like they wanted to wear it in the water, is it? We talked a bit."

"Just the three of you? Was it a late-night rendezvous?"

"More early morning. About three or four."

"Daaamn." She dragged the word out. "You... I don't know what to say. Part of me wants to ask for lessons, part wants to give you a lecture on propriety."

"Please don't. I got enough of one from Jaune when he saw my chest."

"Ack…" Coco choked on air. Some of the girls nearby, who had been so obviously listening in Ruby didn't even _try_ to whisper, gasped and covered their mouths with their hands. They huddled back together and began to gossip, leaving Ruby to pick at some grass and listen to Coco struggling to breathe.

In the ring, the taskmaster called an end to the sprint. Jaune had done well, coming in the top ten. He got a shout out from the man in charge for that. Some of the other newbloods looked annoyed at his progress, but there were a few who elbowed him and whistled. Jaune was bright red and pointedly looking in the opposite direction from the initiates.

A bell tolled in the distance; one that had Ruby on her feet instantly. The food hall was open.

No one was surprised to see a small and thin figure dashing across the grass and white-pebble pathways to reach the hall. Some of the older Arcanists walking by tutted and rolled their eyes, but she – or more specifically the amount of food she ate – had already become something known to most of the students. For the first three days people would look at her with disgust. Now, they watched with curiosity.

It had become something of a morbid game to see how much the little girl could eat.

What _did_ surprise her was who was waiting for her at the entrance to the hall. Weiss stood with a fierce scowl and her arms crossed, watching people as they entered until she spotted Ruby. She stomped one foot and marched over.

"You were gone this morning!"

"Yeah…?" She'd woken up early to scout the walls again and watch the newbloods train. "Is that a problem? You were asleep."

"You should have woken me up."

"Am I your servant now…?"

"No. It's just that you left…" Weiss looked away and huffed. "What were you even doing? Don't tell me you were hunting for wild berries to eat or something; I won't have you throwing up in our room because you can't control your horrifying appetite."

"I was watching the newbloods train."

"Newbloods? You mean the Collegium guards? Why?"

"I was healing my eyes."

"What does that even mean? Never mind. Next time, you will wake me up before you go, and I shall accompany you. It's rude to wander off alone without so much as a note."

"Alright. I'll wake you up next time." She'd thought it ruder to wake Weiss up, but this was another one of those noble things she didn't understand, apparently. It was easier just to agree and do what she said at this point. "Can we hurry up and go inside yet? What if they run out of food?"

"How can they?" Weiss groused. "You haven't gone in yet. Fine. But please try to eat with a little more in the way of manners this time. It's embarrassing to be seen next to you."

"You don't _have_ to sit with me…"

Weiss marched on.

/-/

Coco and Yatsuhashi no longer led them to lessons.

That proved a point of annoyance to her, since she couldn't read the maps they'd been provided. She could understand the layout and tell where rooms, staircases and such were, but everything was labelled and that was her undoing. Luckily, Weiss was one who favoured arriving to every lesson early and who also seemed determined to drag her along, too.

For once, Ruby didn't fight it. She followed Weiss through a huge set of purple doors and into a long corridor. It was all built from stone, with pillars built into the wall on the left, each of them between a tall stained-glass window with light shining through, casting bright patterns on the opposite wall. The corridor was on the outer edge of the academy building, with the classrooms on the inner – the doorways occasionally placed on the same wall the windows shone light onto.

"Heron. Raven. Crow…"

The classrooms were named after animals. No one bothered to explain why to them. If they were going to do that, she wondered why they didn't use pictures. _I could understand those. Stupid nobles and their writing. Who needs it?_

"Sparrow! Here we are." Weiss pushed on the door, opening it a crack and looking inside. "We're the first. Good."

"We're always the first," Ruby muttered, stepping in behind Weiss. The classroom was very similar to Oobleck's, with the same pulpit desk at the front for the teacher, a brief open space for any demonstrations and then a set of desks that scaled diagonally up a series of steps, the ones further back placed higher to see over the heads of the others.

Weiss moved to a spot at the front and pulled a chair out, then pushed it in and followed Ruby to the back when she walked on by.

"What is your obsession with being so far away from the teacher?"

Ruby shrugged, sitting down. Weiss did the same on her left. Yet again, she'd chosen a spot where there was no seat on her right, giving her an easy escape route if she needed it. It didn't take long for more students to appear, first one or two at a time and then ten at once, the last dregs filing in and sitting down, chattering excitedly.

She couldn't say she didn't feel at least a little the same way, but her anticipation was tempered with worry. Yang was still out there and didn't know if she was okay. She had to get out the Collegium and let her know.

The door opened and the teacher stepped through before she could think more on it. Everyone stood, and Ruby did the same, having learned it was something of a sign of respect. Not every teacher demanded it, but it was better to assume they did at first.

"Good morning class." The woman looked over them carefully with yellow eyes and lilac-coloured hair. "My name is Arcanist Lavender." The Arcanum on her chest indicated blue and white. "You may all be seated."

Chairs scraped as everyone sat.

"This class is normally run by Arcanist Goodwitch, but due to… pressing business within the city, she is currently busy. I have been asked to take over in her stead. I am unfamiliar with teaching, but perhaps that will provide a more down-to-Remnant point of view." She shuffled some papers on her desk and looked down at them, apparently reading off something of a script. "We'll be discussing one of the most important facets of the Collegium today, but I'm afraid the lesson is purely theoretical. You will not be casting or learning any magic."

Disappointment crept over Ruby, and many of the other students. No one made a meal of it, but they'd been spoiled with lessons so far – and even the most boring involved bright lights and flashy demonstrations of skill from the Arcanist teachers.

Turning, the Arcanist took a stick of chalk and wrote some squiggles on the board.

"Ugh." Weiss grumbled.

"Politics!" the Arcanist said. "Specifically, the politics of Arcanist culture and how the Collegium fits into Vale. This is hardly a topic to be handled in one lesson, hence why Arcanist Goodwitch will be teaching you this over the course of the coming years. And yes, I mean years. There is a lot to learn on this subject and it's more important than any spell."

On the board, she drew a triangle. At the top, she drew a simple spikey crown.

"The Kingdom of Vale is a monarchy led by the King." She tapped the crown. "Beneath it, individual layers of society filter down in value of political importance. Below the King, we have the Council." She drew a line and wrote something. "Below them, the nobility." Another line cutting off a fresh segment. "Below them, the gentry, then the merchants, and finally the farmers and lower class outside the walls."

There were no slices of the triangle left, and no sign of the Dredgers in the slums.

"Now, I have missed out one group here. Can anyone tell me what that is?"

Ruby raised a hand.

Weiss beat her to it.

"Miss Schnee. Go on."

"Arcanists," Weiss said.

"Good! Absolutely correct." Arcanist Lavender added the fresh word on the left, leaving Ruby to lower her hand with an indignant grimace. "Arcanists stand outside the hierarchy. You may think that the military does as well, but that's not true. The military is an extension of the King and Council's power. Arcanists, and by extension the Collegium, are not. We are independent, and we don't fit well into the hierarchy of the city – or any city, for that matter. Every Kingdom, Empire and Province across Remnant that holds a Collegium operates on the same rules."

"This is important for several reasons. Can anyone tell me why it might be important for Arcanists to remain independent of the ruling class of a city? Yes, you there."

"Arcanists shouldn't be used in wars."

"That's one answer. We hold much power and the devastation we could cause on normal troops is too much to allow. If one Kingdom were to use Arcanists, every Kingdom would, so forging our independence is a way to avoid that. Anything else?"

"It lets us share with other Collegiums."

"Another good answer. Knowledge pooling and co-operation between Collegiums is only possible because there are no political constrains between our entities. Vale trading Arcanist knowledge with Mistral carries no burden on military, trade or economic strength that might imperil either Kingdom. This is important because it allows us to work together and identify Rogue Arcanists, share knowledge and aid one another. If we weren't independent, you can rest assured such exchanges would be part and parcel of diplomatic meetings and would be weighed against trade deals and the like. It would be a political nightmare. But I'm looking for something more. Something specific to the city a Collegium operates within. Anyone?"

No hands were raised. Some looked like they had an idea but weren't confident enough to say it. Seeing that the answer wasn't forthcoming, the Arcanist turned and wrote a new word on the board. It was still nothingness to Ruby.

"Accountability." The Arcanist struck it. "Ask yourself, where on the triangle would we sit if we were a part of the city? The triangle keeps itself balanced. The Monarchy is powerful politically but few in number. The gentry is weaker but has more people to leverage that strength. The beauty of the system is that it is mostly self-governing. Cruel and evil monarchs have been deposed in ages past by those beneath them, while illegal uprisings by peasants can be put down by those above. It is a balanced system."

"Add Arcanists, however, and things become rather complicated. In numbers, we are many. In strength, we're even greater. All our spells, our wealth, our influence and the Collegium Guard combined could place us high on the triangle and might even allow us the power to usurp the crown. Everyone in Vale knows that. Everyone in the world knows it. Tell me, how many of you have been involved in trade deals, political arrangements or other negotiations between your families?"

Hands rose. Weiss was among them. Most of the class was in fact, and Ruby raised her own hand. She hadn't, but it was more suspicion to look otherwise.

"Then ask yourselves, how would you feel if you turned up for the meeting in finery with a table set aside with food and drink for your guests, only to have them arrive with ten guards, armed and equipped to the teeth, hands on their weapons. What would be your first thought?"

"They're looking for trouble," someone said.

"Or planning it," Arcanist Lavender added. "Yes, in diplomatic meetings how you present yourself is important. You come with few men and you show respect by having them wait back to make it clear you mean no harm. Both sides understand and accept this. But as Arcanists, how can we set aside our powers? We can't. One Arcanist is worth ten armed men and everyone who meets with us knows that. We are dangerous. Deadly, even. And unlike soldiers, we cannot be disarmed. A smile, a quick phrase and a wave of the hand can kill a man."

Funnily enough, Ruby knew exactly what she was saying. The others were slowly realising it, but the Arcanist's words perfectly summed up how authority worked in the slums. Junior was a good example. He was one man and he wasn't afraid to let you sit down at a table and talk with him, but you always knew his word carried more weight, because he was dangerous. Because he wasn't afraid to have Yang or the Malachites visit you if you pissed him off.

People didn't cheat Junior. They knew better.

Arcanists were the same, weren't they? You never heard of anyone cheating them and most were – not afraid of them, but anxious. Nervous. You kept your head down and did what they asked, kind of like you did with the guards.

"There are few who could hope to control us, and that is why we must remain independent of the Kingdom. If we served the nobility, their power would be unbalanced. If we served the King, he could impose his will on all. If we were politically minded, no one would dare treat us fairly and few would trust us. Go back a few hundred years and this was the case. Back in the time of the _MageKingdoms_ powerful Mages held land of their own and ruled with an iron fist. No one could face them and if the peasants rose up and took arms, they were annihilated with spellfire. The system did not work, and _we_ were too powerful. Too unchecked. The Collegium was created not only as a way of preventing that from happening again, but also a means to let us govern ourselves. Keep ourselves in check."

"Rogue Arcanists are hunted down because of the threat they pose, because, without rules, they can slaughter so many people – because we exist in a delicate balance. People trust us now, and that is due not only to the hard work of many but to the fact we _prevent_ the minority who would, from abusing their power. It is rare to hear of an Arcanist using their power to kill a merchant who wrongs them. This is not because it has never happened, but because such an Arcanist is hunted down by other members of the Collegium and punished. Because no one within the hierarchy of a city can hold us accountable for our actions, we created the Collegium to do that on our behalf."

And the Sanctum was the ultimate punishment, barring death. Ruby licked her lips and looked down at the desk. It wasn't anything she hadn't heard before. Laws broken resulted in punishment. That happened everywhere in the city, and they were just saying no simple guard could arrest and punish an Arcanist. Throw them in a cell and they'd blow themselves out.

Only an Arcanist could entrap an Arcanist, or so it seemed. The Sanctum had to have something going for it that no one would have escaped.

"The purpose of this lesson is not to frighten you, nor is it to intimidate." She smiled. "I trust that all of you here are not planning to oppress and murder people. It's simply to show you how important it is to hold yourselves accountable for your actions, no matter how small they may seem. And to remember that people may well be afraid of you in life. You have power that they do not, and that frightens them, perhaps rightfully so. You must handle yourselves with poise and show them – through action as well as words – that you will not abuse that power."

"At the same time," she said, "Remember that you are all independent of your houses, your families and your prior commitments now. You have entered the Collegium and you have given up those past loyalties and ties. Love your family still, meet with and enjoy your time with them, but know that your actions are watched and judged by your fellow Arcanists. Remember that if a family member asks you to create a rockslide to cut off a rival's trade caravan or something equally banal."

Nobles. They'd be the kind to do stuff like that. Already, a few were muttering nervously to one another. Ruby wondered if they'd thought about that before they joined. She could bet some had, and to be fair she would have as well, albeit on a smaller scale. The temptation to break her and Yang free from Junior and put _themselves_ up as a powerful force in the slums was tempting.

But a bad idea. The Collegium would stamp down on that. Ruthlessly.

The actions of the few impacted the reputation of the many. As Arcanist Lavender had said, she hadn't heard of Arcanists losing their temper and hurting innocent people. That didn't mean it didn't happen. They were good at getting rid of Arcanists who that did, but there was something else, something the teacher hadn't said, but had more than implied.

Evidence of it also disappeared.

"Now, I want you all to read a chapter of a particular textbook for your homework. I'll be providing you the details and you'll need to read over it for your next lesson. There _will_ be a quick test, so don't slack."

Uh-oh…

/-/

The moon crept up in the sky as the night came to an end. Ruby's eyes snapped open, darting around the room. It was late, easily closing in on midnight and with the dormitory fast asleep. Even those staying up late to study had almost certainly given up on that. Slowly pulling her blankets aside, Ruby's boots padded lightly onto the carpet.

Weiss was asleep in her bed, curled up onto her side and facing the wall. The noble hadn't been pleased when Ruby rejected her offer of studying together in the library to get a head start on the homework set by Lavender. She'd argued the books would be gone if they waited longer and had gone into a huff when Ruby suggested Weiss go alone and get _two copies_ for them to look over later.

In the end, Weiss didn't go at all. And she kept blaming her for that.

Moving toward the door, she kept an eye on Weiss, unlocking it with a near-silent click. The head of white hair visible above the sheets didn't even move. Her breathing was even and regular.

Ruby slipped outside and closed the door. Looking around, she resisted the urge to duck low. If she was caught, she could just say she couldn't sleep and wanted fresh air. Even so, she kept quiet as she made her way down the corridor toward the stairs, then took each step one at a time, stepping with her heel and lowering down to her toes. A few of the steps creaked, but not enough to wake anyone.

The downstairs area and the study lounge were empty. The kitchens off to the side were quiet, the door closed. On the wall next to it, a few sheets of paper hung, covered in scribbles and notes. The front doors were shut but opened with a soft creak when she tried them.

The outside air was cool and soft.

Tugging her initiate robes up over her head, Ruby slipped out and onto the gravel, wincing instantly when it crunched underfoot. She waited to see if anyone would appear. When no one did, she bent her knees and jumped, giving off one final crunch before landing on the grass beside it with a soft, wet sound.

No one had heard her. In the distance, she could see the walls and the guards upon it, but they were mostly looking outward. Those at the gates would be doing the opposite, but she knew from her constant scouting that no one kept an eye on the dormitories. Why would they? No one dangerous get into the Collegium without passing by the guards, and it wasn't like the initiates weren't free to move around inside the grounds.

Within reason, anyway. Ruby kept her grey hood up and walked alongside, but not on, the white gravel path. If anyone looked her way, they didn't comment. The robes marked her an initiate, but there was nothing to say she wasn't a higher year. Nothing to say she wasn't out for a romantic late-night rendezvous like Coco suggested. The fact she made her way towards a secluded copse of trees by the wall only added to that. A perfect place for an illicit meeting away from prying eyes.

They really should have cut away the trees by the walls. Maybe they didn't think any Arcanist inside would have the athleticism required to climb one or be dumb enough to try. Ruby, used to scaling houses across the city, shimmied up with ease, wrapping her legs around to hold herself in place and digging her fingers into any little nook and cranny she could. It didn't take her long to scale up into the branches, where the leaves kept her hidden. If there was one thing going for the grey initiate robes, it was the fact it blended in well with the dark.

But it had to go. If someone saw her now, saw the robe, they'd know to narrow the hunt down. Pulling it up over her head, she stashed it in the branches. There was nothing to say it was hers even if someone did find it.

It was a good ten feet jump to the wall.

Maybe they hadn't been so lax with letting the trees grow there. The branches closer were also thin, so thin they'd struggle to support the weight of a normal person. Ruby wasn't a normal person. She crept out and while the bough dipped precariously, it held under her.

A Collegium Guard walked by, one hand on his sheathed sword, the other on the parapet. He kept his attention outward, a wary but bored look on his face. Still more at attention than any guard the slums had been home to, but he wasn't looking her way. Ruby held her breath as he walked by, knowing from watching them for the last few nights that she had exactly ten minutes before someone walked in that same spot.

_Here goes nothing._

Kicking off with her feet, Ruby extended both hands and leapt forward, stretching out as far as she could. It wasn't the biggest jump she'd made in her time, but the stone wall had a lot less to grab onto than she was used to. If she missed the lip, it would be a long drop.

Her hands caught the edge. One slipped.

"Shit!" Hissing, she hung from one hand, arm muscles clenching as she caught her breath. "Fine. This is fine. Focus." Letting out a panicked sigh, she kicked her legs to the side, starting a swinging motion. Left to right she swung, once, twice and then a third time. On that swing, she lurched up with her free hand and caught the top.

She scrambled up, using both her hands to drag up and her feet to kick off the wall. Two to three minutes. Give or take. Her arms were killing her but that wasn't even the hard part. Jumping and climbing, she was used to.

Falling off a wall and living, less so.

_That's a long drop,_ she thought, looking over the edge. _And a sudden stop on stone floor, too._

It wasn't a `break your legs` kind of drop. Really more of a `splat` drop. The kind that left a mess in the morning but no broken bones. More `obliterated` bones. Ruby swallowed and leaned back, suddenly ten times as nervous as she had been – and she'd been nervous before.

_Good job I'm not jumping._

It had been an idea, actually. If her magic worked instinctively like she thought it did, then she might have been able to recreate what she did to Oobleck's floating ball things, slowing her descent until she could land safely. A couple of jumps out a tree had shown it _could_ work, but not with enough strength to protect her. She'd hit the grass hard and nearly twisted an ankle.

Instead, she'd decided on something a whole lot riskier. At least, in theory.

Infiltrate the guard tower and find out how _they_ got out the walls. There were multiple ways in and out of the towers, but the front entrance on the ground floor was watching for obvious reasons, hence her climbing up onto the wall first. There were two wall-entrances, one on either side of the tower as the wall cut through it. Ahead, she saw the guard she'd come up after head inside and close the door behind him. Ruby followed, trying to stand tall and not crouch like a thief with something obvious to hide.

If they caught her, she could make excuses that she was trying to find a boy she liked. There wasn't even a need to give a name. She'd be scolded, sure, but if she hadn't technically left the Collegium, then it wasn't against the rules. Or not the tenets anyway. It was a whole lot less dangerous than the _other_ times she'd had to sneak into a guardhouse.

The door creaked open as she leaned up against it. Inside, she heard a fire crackling away but little else. She pushed it further and peeked in, ready to sprint back to the safety of the trees if she had to. Nothing. A fireplace with a roaring fire, but it was so big it could heat the whole tower. There was a staircase hugging the side and leading both up and down, likely to the parapet and bottom floor, but the middle floor itself looked to be more a storage room and thoroughfare for those on the walls.

Sliding inside, she closed the door behind her and crept to the left, out of sight of anyone on top who might peek down and inside. This tower was unlike the ones she was used to, but that was because those had sleeping quarters and cells. The Collegium obviously didn't need those in every tower since they had individual barracks. The tower was more a storage structure.

_Does that mean it won't have a way out at all? I could be wasting my time._ It was a definite possibility. _Even if there isn't a way out, I might be able to steal a uniform. Anything to get me out the gates._

A sudden commotion outside caught her attention. It sounded like a lot of feet on the gravel pathway, but she quickly placed it as a carriage being drawn along. The distinctive clip-clop of a horse and the creak of wood as it came to a stop heralded that. The door to the tower opened and two men pushed in, each looking bored. The one waiting for them stood.

"Only you, Pat? Where's everyone else to give us a hand?"

"They had a sudden urge to patrol the walls. Probably knew you were coming, the lazy cunts."

"No use crying about it. Lieutenant-Commander Winchester wants new stocks for the newbloods, and we were supposed to have this done last week. Give us a hand, will you? Check the barrels. Empty ones on the cart, but don't take any full."

"Yeah, yeah." One of them grumbled as he made his way inside, thankfully not up the stairs but deeper into the ground floor. "We're not being sent all the way into the city, are we? Lord Commander wants me teaching staves to the newbloods tomorrow."

"Gonna knock some around?"

"It's all in the name of training. Sides, _we_ got knocked around something stupid and we turned out alright."

"Ha. Speak for yourself. Hnhh." He grunted and spoke in a tense voice, likely holding something heavy against his chest. "Pin that door open, will ya?"

"I've got you." One of them wedged the door ajar and pushed a metal bolt into place, pinning it that way. He let the first out, then went deeper into the tower himself for more. When the first came back in, dusting his hands, Ruby crept a little down the stairs, peeking out the door.

A horse and cart lay waiting. There was no driver, that obviously being one of the guards who had jumped off to help the others. The horse was happily grazing off the path and the wooden cart was fit to be stacked with barrels, either food or other supplies for the guards. More importantly, he mentioned the city.

Ruby darted back when they came out with more goods. They talked to keep their spirits up, simple things like women, training and what they planned to do with time off. They talked about the newbloods too, calling out any `fresh ones` they thought might be worth something in a couple of years. Neither Jaune nor Sun were on the list, but she knew they weren't new to the guard.

The longer they worked, the more they got into the task. Ruby crept a little further down, feeling more confident. It was dark outside, and they hadn't left anyone to guard the cart. She waited for the perfect moment, for all three of them to – through luck or laziness – bunch up together in their lifting. They filed in through the door as three, and all three headed deeper into the tower, their backs to the door and the staircase.

She darted down and out. They kept talking. There was no one outside and the horse flicked an ear in her direction but went back to its food. Ruby hurried to the cart and looking in the back. There were barrels on their side strapped down by ropes. The lids were stacked nearby, also tied down, but not sealed onto the barrels themselves. They probably wouldn't be until they were filled with whatever the guards were taking them for. Crawling up, she shimmied into one and waited.

The guards came back out. They stacked more barrels on the cart, making the wood creak and the axles flex. They talked and they complained, and they paused to take a drink, minutes ticking by as Ruby waited in silence.

"Right. That's enough," one of them finally said. "Or cart's full at any rate. Lash 'em down and we'll deliver it to the gates."

Another fifteen minutes passed as the two guards helped to lash the new supplies down. They didn't bother with her hiding spot since that was already done. The leader led the horse back into place, tying it into the hardness.

"You two head off and call it a night. I'll deliver this."

"You sure, Gratt?"

"Aye. I'm feeling generous. You can repay the favour someday."

"Ha. I'll buy you a beer." The man slapped his hand on the wood. "You're good to go."

A whip cracked in the air and the cart trundled forward, round, wooden wheels crunching through the gravel as they made their way toward the main gates. In the back, Ruby curled up in her barrel and balanced with her feet on the side.

_Hang on, Yang. I'm coming._

* * *

**Okay, so I said Yang and that would be in this chapter and the plan did originally call for her to be over the wall and out this chapter (as she was) but for that to happen a little sooner in it. Earlier parts of the chapter were longer than expected, however. It happens.**

**Didn't want to try and rush either of those spots, and on the plan it was just "Have politics lesson and show X,Y and Z". In my head, I estimated that as "Yeah, it'll be, what, 1,000 words? Sure."**

**Lel.**

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**Next Chapter: 13****th**** August **

**P a treon . com (slash) Coeur **


	9. Chapter 9

**Just to continue the message, I'll have no updates next week which means the next chapter of this will be in three weeks (because SWS misses its slot next week, so gets pushed back to two weeks from now).**

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**Chapter 9**

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The wagon trundled through four gates before it came to a stop, and Ruby could tell which they were by the dialects and mannerisms of the guards. The first gate from the Collegium to the Upper District was familiar banter between the driver and the guards he likely shared a barracks with. The second, from the Upper to the Merchant Quarter, was polite and reserved. From the Merchant to the Slums was rough and lazy with little in the way of asking for proof of identity. From the slums to the farmland outside, it was little more than a grunt and a `as you were` from the disinterested guards.

It was also obvious they'd gone outside the walls because of how bumpy the ride became, the large wheels bouncing over every rock and hole in the path. The barrels were for food, it seemed, and the wagon was headed toward one of the farmhouses outside the walls. When it eventually came to a stop, the driver sighed and hauled himself off, muttering something to the horse as he patted its neck and tied it to a wooden post before heading off to speak to whomever ran the place.

That was her moment to scurry out the barrel and poke her head above the wooden slat railing. It was downright bizarre that someone would leave a horse alone in a place like this. It was asking to be stolen. Or maybe they had protections against that. The horse snorted and hooved at the ground as she jumped off, but when she quickly moved away it calmed down and went back to grazing. It was still dark out, somewhere between midnight and the early hours of the morning. Faint wisps of smoke came from chimneys on the farmhouses and distant torches could be seen in the slums and on the wall.

Ruby headed for those, picking her way out the farmhouse and avoiding the dogs which would, if she gave them reason to, drag her to the floor and tear out a chunk of flesh. That was only if you pushed them. One woke up and growled softly at her, but she backed away and it lowered its head, content it had done its job of protecting the chicken coop.

"Good doggy. I'm not here for them." Its ears flicked in her direction and its tail wagged softly. She liked dogs, though not enough to walk up and pet a guard dog that had warned her away.

Once she was off the farmland and on the path, she was as good as clear. The only threat from thereon was muggers, and she moved with the gait of one – something any good and non-drunk thief would notice. There wasn't much point robbing other thieves. That just led to drama, injuries and the chance of getting caught. Ruby went unmolested as she reached the gates.

If it were any other quarter, the guards there would have questioned her. As it was, they took one look at someone approaching, decided they weren't armed to the teeth, a monster or some wild animal, and yawned, leaning on their spears. She kept her head down and walked on by, back into the Slums that had was her home.

Had it always smelled so rank?

Really, the smell of manure and filth and human excrement assailed her nostrils. It was combined with sweat and weak ale and piss and all the other things she'd gotten used to after more than a decade living there. Compared to the Collegium, it was downright squalid. Not the happy homecoming she'd expected.

_I can't waste much time. Got to find Yang, talk and get back to the Collegium before lessons start._

Ruby cut through the streets between tall, ramshackle buildings, ignoring the people who called out to her for alms or to purchase something `amazing` they'd found. For a while she wondered why they called out to her at all. Couldn't they tell she was dirt poor?

No, they couldn't. Dressed in a well-made cloak and with clothing that fit her frame, not to mention the cleanliness of her face, she looked like some adventurous young boy coming down from the Merchant's Quarter. It was only the way she let her knife be seen on her belt that stopped them having a go at her.

Reaching Junior's, Ruby paused outside, not quite trusting herself to go inside and be questioned by the man. He'd sell her out in an instant if he knew the truth. She hopped up and caught the low wooden slats instead, hauling herself onto the side of the building and scaling it with practised ease. People saw her doing so but shrugged and moved on, not wanting to cause a fuss and not caring if she was some killer out for blood.

Creeping along, Ruby paused outside the window that had been hers and Yang's, cupped her hand over her mouth and made a distinctive three-tone chirping whistle.

Silence.

Had Yang been forced to abandon this place? Had… Had something happened to her? Panicking, Ruby did it again, then a third time, louder. On the third, a return call came from within. Excited, she echoed it again, slapping her hand on the wooden slats from outside.

Footsteps pounded from within and the slats were drawn aside. Yang didn't stick her head out – that was a quick way to get dragged out and thrown down to a broken neck. She stepped back instead and said, "Ruby? Is that you-?"

Ruby's heart leapt. "Yeah! Can I come in?"

"Yes! Of course! Get in!"

Permission granted and knowing she wouldn't get a fist to the face for coming in unannounced, she stepped over to the window and through, immediately being dragged off the sill when Yang grabbed her arm and hauled her in. Ruby's face slammed into Yang's chest, held there by a hand on the back of her head and another around her back.

"Shitting hell, Ruby!" Yang hissed. "I thought they'd got you! I thought you were dead! Where the _fuck_ have you been?" The hug turned from warm and relieved to an angry strangling in a second, Yang growling into her hair. "I turned the slums upside down! I called in every favour I had! You better have a good explanation for this I swear on mom's spirit I'll bend you over my knee and spank you until your screams wake the whole fucking city!"

"Ah ha ha…" It was no false threat, she knew. "That's… well, it's a bit of a long story. And it's good to see you." Her own hands found their way around Yang's back, holding on tight. "I missed you."

"Gods, I missed you too." Yang nuzzled her hair and Ruby was horrified to feel some moisture drip down. "You better have a good explanation. I was worried sick! And what's with these robes? They're so fancy. Don't tell me you sold yourself to some noble get."

Good explanation? She had _an explanation,_ but she wasn't sure it could count as good. Of course, she'd been prepared for the possibility of Yang's anger.

"Before that," Ruby said, pushing away. "I bring gifts!"

"Gifts?"

Ruby nodded and scurried to the table once Yang let go of her, reaching under her initiate robes to bring out a rolled bundle of cloth. It was the same make and weave of her robes, which made them far above what you could afford in the slums. Those alone would sell well, though Yang would need to tear it into strips if she didn't want to sell a clearly recognisable robe.

In it, however, was far more. Rings, bracelets, necklaces, coin pouches and other accessories, along with some golden chains with pendants on and more.

She had not been idle in the Collegium.

"Are these real?" Yang asked, picking a ring up and turning it over in her hand, watching the red gemstone sparkle. "They feel real. Gods, how did you get all this? Have you been stealing from the royal family or something?"

"That's not all!" Ruby said excitedly, turning out another rolled bundle. She laid it out flat. "Ta-dah!"

Cheeses, fruits, slips of meat, cakes, pastries and so much more. It was all smooshed together, but it was fresh and sequestered away from the Collegium's food hall. The kind of food she'd been stuffing her face with, but that Yang had never seen in her life. Already, her sister was drooling, eyes alight as she stared at the bounty.

Ruby couldn't wait to see what Yang thought of it all.

"Dig in. I'll tell you the story while you eat."

"I… ah…" Yang's ass hit the chair. Her hand reached out but paused. "Shouldn't you have some as well?" she asked, ever the worrier, ever the one willing to share with her baby sister.

"I've already eaten. This is _all_ for you."

Yang didn't need to be told twice.

/-/

They both knew she'd timed her story well to coincide with Yang's mouth being full. Food dulled her anger and at spaces where Yang would have normally been on her feet and yelling at her, she was instead forced to sit and glare, fighting euphoria as she munched down on cake and experienced what Weiss called a `sugar rush` for the first time in her life.

Yang couldn't stop eating, much like she hadn't been able to. Weiss had found that disgusting. Ruby found it endearing. And it was something that had her watching with the happiest of smiles. Yang had always looked after her, always sacrificed for her, and being able to give something back at last was an incredible feeling. Watching Yang's eyes light up as her taste buds danced on fine and foreign delicacies was even better.

Never mind that Yang was stuffing her face and spraying food left and right. Seeing her happy was more than enough to have Ruby feeling pleased with herself.

"And that's why I'm stuck in the Collegium," she finished.

"You – mm – are stupid. Ah. Oh, this is so good! I mean, umf." Yang swallowed and forced herself not to insert food into mouth as she spoke. "That's too dangerous!" A slice of beef hovered perilously close to Yang's lips, guided there by her hand, which seemed to be moving outside her control. "You could be – hm. So good!"

"I know, right!? I get to eat this stuff every day! Weiss kept telling me off at first and I made myself stick. Can you imagine that? Sick from _too much_ food. It's a thing! And there are _so many_ different kinds of bread and meat and cakes. They have a meal that you have _after_ a meal, where all you have is cake! It's called dessert and it's amazing."

"Ruby-"

"And the lessons, Yang, the lessons! It's so awesome! They're all magic this and magic that and the Arcanists can make all sorts of crazy things happen." Her face twisted suddenly as she said, "Most of them are Nobles, and they don't even count us as real people!" The smiles came back suddenly, "But the lessons are _awesome_! And I'm _good_ at them. Maybe a little too good. I need to find out more, but Weiss said that magic isn't supposed to be instinctive and-"

Yang's hand sealed over her mouth, cutting her off mid-rant. "Sounds like someone is excited, but who, or what, is a Weiss? And try to explain in _less_ than a hundred words, please."

"Weiss is a noble I'm being forced to live with," Ruby explained.

"All this jewellery didn't come from her. Did it?"

"No." It would be a bad idea to steal from someone you shared a room with. Immediate suspicion. "I'm not an idiot. I picked them off people during lessons. I thought you could fence them."

"Guess I can."

"Keep it all for yourself," she said. "I have food and a place to sleep and I kinda can't leave the Collegium until I'm a full Arcanist. It's against the rules." Ruby wilted under Yang's sudden glare. "B-But I had to come find you. Because I knew you'd think I might have died or something. I had to risk it."

"Ruby…" Yang sighed. "Right. It's good to see you're okay. You sure I can take all this, though?"

"Yeah. I can't use any of it. I was thinking I could get you stuff, and you could sell it, then you can move out the slums." She leaned forward, brimming with excitement. "Think about it, Yang. You could get a place in the Merchant's Quarter and not have to scrape by every day. You could eat _real food_ like this all the time."

"Whoah. Whoah. And how would I afford this?"

"I can keep lifting things. It's not hard. They barely even pay attention and they're all filthy rich."

"That sounds dangerous. Not to mention you're basically admitting you're going back there." Yang stared at her. "Don't think I didn't notice that. Why do you have to go back? We can go into hiding. We can avoid the Arcanists."

Ruby winced.

"You don't want to come home…" Yang's voice trailed off. "You _like_ it there…"

"It – It's not like I'm unhappy with you. It's just… look at us, Yang. We're surviving, but only barely, and that's because you do all this work for Junior. We're only just getting by. What happens when we get older, or work dies out?"

They'd die out too; they both knew it. People in the slums only lived as long as they could look after themselves. Not a second longer.

"But if I become an Arcanist then I can do stuff!" Ruby sat up, eyes shining. "I can heal and make stuff and use magic and that's always in demand. I can make loads of money and we can use that money to get out the slums and into the Merchant's Quarter. Maybe even the Upper District. We can have better lives."

"As long as they don't find out you're a Wildmage," Yang said. "They're still out here looking for you, Ruby. They haven't stopped. The Arcanists watching the gates have left but you still see them walking down the streets every now and then. What happens if they find out you're a Wildmage and I'm stuck out here unable to help you? You'll be tossed in the Sanctum and I'll never see you again."

"T-That's a risk we'll have to take."

"Like fuck it is!" Yang snapped, slamming her hands down on the table. "I promised mom I'd look after you! You risking your life for me isn't gonna happen!"

"But it's okay for you to risk your life for me?" Ruby asked. "That's not fair either! You keep going out on those dangerous jobs for Junior and we both know if you break an arm or get hurt, he's not going to help you. As soon as you can't fight, he'll give you the chance to be his whore or he'll toss you out on the street, me included. That's no way to live, Yang."

"It's living." Yang grunted defensively. "It's better than being a beggar."

"I know and you did it for me and I love you but _let me_ do the same in return." Ruby scurried around to take Yang's hands in hers. "I have to be an Arcanist. You saw what happened when I tried not to use my magic. It went out of control. I need to know how to use it properly, and the Collegium does all this stuff where it monitors how people use it. That's why they're hunting me down. But if I'm an Arcanist, I'm free to use it how I want." Within reason. "I could learn healing magic and we could set up a clinic. We could make real money. Legal money."

It was something anyone in the slums wanted but could never have, because learning a craft was a case of trying to sell your soul to a craftsman and hoping they chose you. It happened to one kid every ten years or so, if that. Opportunities like this didn't come around often.

"Do you _want_ to stay at the Collegium?" Yang asked. "Be honest, Ruby. Do you like it there?"

"I… well…" She kicked her legs under the table and looked down at it. "I don't dislike it… I mean, I wish you were there, and the nobles are stupid, and I don't like how I'm locked inside and can't go where I want and-"

"Ruby…" Yang sighed. "I guess I should have seen this coming. You always were obsessed with Arcanists. Always sneaking off to try and catch a glimpse of them. Given the chance to become one yourself, of course you'd jump at it."

Ruby's head rose as she detected the small smile on Yang's lips. That was a good sign. "Ahah…" She laughed nervously. "M-Maybe. I mean, I wasn't _that_ bad."

"You were. Every time you saw one, you'd come home and go on for hours about it."

Maybe a little. What could she say? Magic. Magic had always been amazing, but not only because it was something so few people understood. It was because in the back of her head she'd always imagined it would be a solution to their problems. She'd wake up one morning, discover she had magic and then she'd bring her and Yang out the slums and into the light. They'd go on adventures, meet new people, save the world and come back rich, famous and loved by all.

Childish fantasies; Ruby knew that. But now she had a chance to make those childish fantasies a reality.

"Alright."

Ruby looked up; eyes wide as she struggled to comprehend what her sister just said. "Y-Yang…?"

"I said `alright`. Not like I can say much to stop you."

"Yang!" Ruby howled, coming around the table to engulf her sister in a huge hug.

"Yeah, yeah." Yang patted hr back. "I'm just looking out for you, and maybe you do need to learn to control this stuff. Arcanists would just hunt us down otherwise. Just promise you won't forget about me, okay? Promise you'll come back."

"Of course I will! Don't be stupid!" She babbled her answer. "I'm going to become the best Arcanist and I'll show you all the cool magic I can do, then we'll get out of the slums. Live in the Merchant's Quarter, or maybe buy a farmhouse outside the walls. We'll have a better life, Yang. You'll see."

"I'll hold you to that. And at least you'll have some real food while you learn."

"I'll bring some to you!"

"No." Yang pushed her back. "You can't keep sneaking out to bring me food. That's too dangerous."

"I – I have to. It could take me _years_ to graduate, Yang. I can't not see you for that long. I can't."

"Ha. Nice to see I'm that important to you. Look, I'll figure something out. It'll be hard but maybe I can get into the Upper District if I push it. Or I'll find a way to send a message to you. If I get Junior to write something for me, you can find someone to read it. There's better ways to do this than you risking trouble by sneaking out."

She nodded, ready to agree to _anything_ so long as it meant Yang was on her side.

"But tell me more about your adventures there first," she said, leaning back. "You look like you're about to burst if you don't."

Ruby grinned and leaned forward, bursting into stories of the lessons, the people and all the amazing things she'd seen since entering the Collegium, waving her hands wildly and gesticulating as she described the giant halls, the statues, the huge gardens, the river, the newbloods, the food halls and everything else she'd only been able to _dream about_ before.

Yang listened to it all with a smile, content just to hear Ruby talk.

/-/

The sun had begun to peek over the walls.

"Shit, shit, shit!" Ruby yelped, dashing through the Merchant Quarter and toward the wall that separated it and the Upper District. Late. Too late. She'd missed the wagon back. "Argh. I spent too long talking to Yang!"

Too much time making plans, catching up and hugging one another. Time spent with Ruby gushing about the Collegium and promising to not get in trouble by stealing too many more things – even if she totally intended to. If Yang could make money fencing the items she sold, she could move out the slums even before Ruby became an Arcanist, or at least stop taking dangerous jobs from Junior.

Time flew when you were having fun, or so they said. Ruby hadn't realised just how long she spent telling her sister amazing stories until sunlight peeked through the slatted blinds and onto the table, at which point she'd gone into absolute panic. The wagon outside the walls was gone. The city was waking up. Soon, the initiates would be expected in for their first lessons.

And here she was _outside_ the Collegium walls.

_How am I going to get in? I was supposed to sneak back in on the same wagon. No, no, no. This is bad. I can't just walk up to the gates – how would I explain this? Can't climb the walls, either. I'll be spotted from across the city._

It was all her fault for getting distracted with Yang.

Damn it. Damn it. Damn it.

Up ahead, she spotted the back of a wagon stacked with barrels. Familiar barrels. It was approaching the wall to the Upper District, though not there yet. Ruby gasped and pushed herself harder, sprinting as fast as she could after it. How she'd get on or hide herself didn't cross her mind, only that it was her only way back into the Collegium.

It was early enough that people weren't paying too much attention. Ruby slowed to a fast walk beside it, looked left and right to make sure she wasn't being watched, then hauled herself up into the back and scurried under some leather tarps that had been tied down over the barrels. They were sealed now and heavy, likely full of fruit, veg and other foodstuffs. Pushing herself in as far as she could, she huddled between two barrels at the back and curled into a ball, heart pounding in her chest.

She'd made it. Just. Her chest rose and fell, and she held a hand over her mouth to stifle the sound of her panting. Her other hand clutched her Arcanum, taking some small comfort in holding onto it. The driver hadn't noticed the sudden addition. The constant clacking and rocking and cracking of the wooden wheels on the path made it loud enough, even without the snorting from the horse or the clip-clop of hooves.

The wagon passed through and into the Upper District without fanfare. The sun continued to rise above, visible through a thin gap in the tarp over the barrels. The Newbloods would already be training at this point. She wasn't sure how long she had.

"Halt," a guard called, likely at the Collegium walls. "Who goes there."

"Anders, you surly prick. It's me, Gratt."

"Gratt? I doubt it. When was the last time I saw you sober?"

"Oh, piss off."

There was some laughter, followed by footsteps on either side of the wagon. Ruby tensed as a shadow walked by the slit she'd been looking through, cutting off all light for a moment. Someone thumped a barrel in the back, several down from her.

"Supplies for the barracks?"

"Aye. Fruit, veg and pickles. You can smell the vinegar from here."

"Who did you piss off to be sent to do this?"

"No one. The rota came back around, and I couldn't find some poor sucker willing to take it off my hands. Unless you're volunteering for next time?"

"Not likely, old man. I got saddled with this a few weeks back." The guard laughed, then said, "You two. Make yourself useful and check the wagon. Don't forget to look under the axles, too. Make sure we've no uninvited guests."

What!? They hadn't done this on the way out!

Ugh. Of course they hadn't. They'd not thought anyone would be wanting to sneak _out_ the Collegium, only in. Ruby bit down on her hand and tried to make herself as small as possible, shaking as some of the straps holding the tarp down were untied on the back end. Gratt, the driver, had jumped off to assist and there was no one to stop the search from taking place.

Light flooded over the back end of the wagon. It dipped as someone pulled themselves on board, moving with heavy tread down and looking between the barrels. It was a matter of seconds before he found her.

_Don't see me! Don't see me! Don't see me!_

Ruby clutched her Arcanum, which suddenly felt cold in her hand.

_Don't see me!_

The tarp was dragged back. Light flooded over her and a guard – young, maybe twenty-two summers – stared down at her, his face not four feet from hers and his eyes staring directly into her own.

Ruby froze.

_Don't see me._

"Anything?" one of them called.

"Nothing yet." The guard leaned in closer, all but pinning Ruby to the floor. His eyes roamed _over her_ and then past, and he pulled the very barrel she was leaning against aside, looking behind it to make sure someone wasn't hidden behind.

All the while so close to her she could feel his breath on her face.

"That's nothing yet, _sir_. Remember that, newblood."

He leaned back with a silent scoff. "All clear, sir."

"Yeah?" The older guard stood at the side of the railing, looking directly over her but somehow not perceiving the very obvious girl laid flat on her back with a Newblood stood over her. "Fine. Get the tarp back on and send 'em through. Oi, Gratt. See you at the watering hole tonight?"

"If I gets enough sleep today."

"Ha. Don't pull a muscle, old man."

The wagon trundled on again with Ruby in the back, wide-eyed and unsure what had just happened. _Did I do that? Did I use magic to make myself invisible? Or did I use magic on them so they couldn't see me?_

That had the potential to be dangerous. She wasn't supposed to use it on people. Then again, she wasn't supposed to go outside the walls either of be a Wildmage, so it could be added to the list of things she'd never tell anyone about. Waiting until the wagon was out of sight of the gate, Ruby crawled to the back and hopped off, diving behind some trees to catch her breath and adjust her initiate robes.

Safe. She'd made it. Letting out a long breath, she waited a few minutes and then walked out onto the path like she was supposed to be there. One of the bells tolled for the early risers and older initiates and indicated that her own dorm would soon be waking up. Ruby hurried down the path toward the twin dorms, relieved to be back in and with Yang finally aware she was safe.

Weiss was waiting for her outside the dorm.

So was Coco.

So was a much older Arcanist with grey-white hair and small, circular eyeglasses.

Along with him, two Collegium guards.

Ruby's smile faltered and died as she came to a slow walk, stepping into their sight and drawing five pairs of eyes towards her. Weiss' face registered relief, Coco's frustration. The other three were blank faced as they watched her approach.

"Miss Rose, is it?" the grey-haired man said.

"Yes." Ruby eyed him nervously. "Who are you?"

"Ruby!" Weiss hissed. "This is Ozpin, the Grand Arcanist! He's the ruler of the Arcane Collegium!"

Oh.

Oh. That was bad.

"Initiate Rose," he said again, inclining his head. "Perhaps you would do me the honour of a meeting."

Ruby swallowed. "I… I have lessons…"

"Please excuse me," he said. "I did not mean to suggest it as a request."

/-/

The Grand Arcanist's office was a stately and large chamber set with rich bookshelves filled with tomes on the left and right, a giant desk that could have fit ten people around it and four tall stained-glass windows behind, each containing a stylised figure reaching up toward the sky as if to accept something from the heavens. There were tapestries between each window and on the walls, along with painted vistas and landscapes.

On his desk, maps were arrayed, with objects holding them down. Documents and pages of things she couldn't read, an open book, a pewter mug of some long-cold liquid and several other knick-knacks she had no idea the purpose of.

Looking around couldn't distract her forever, though. Inevitably, Ruby had to look back toward the person whose office she resided within, and who was here to do who-knew-what with her after she'd been found sneaking out. Her mouth felt dry and her legs shook.

The Grand Arcanist himself, who she could guess from the title was important, sat behind his desk, leaving her standing alongside Coco Adel, her Warden, who looked neither prepared for the meeting nor pleased with Ruby for having caused it.

"Initiate Rose," the man said, watching her with piercing eyes. "Initiate Warden Adel was made aware last night by initiate Schnee that you had gone missing from your assigned quarters. I'm led to understand it caused quite a stir."

Weiss? An uncharacteristic flash of anger ripped through her. Of course this was Weiss' fault.

It surprised her, even if a part of her mind said it shouldn't. Weiss wasn't like her and obviously didn't follow the street rules of not telling the guards _anything_. Still, they lived together. In some silly way, she'd thought that meant something. That Weiss would stick up for her even if she kept complaining about every little thing she did.

Apparently not.

Why would she have raised the alarm, though? It wasn't like she was dead, and she'd snuck off early in the morning before.

"I woke up early," she said.

Coco groaned.

"You consider midnight to be early?" the Grand Arcanist asked kindly.

Midnight? Oops. Had Weiss woken up that early and found her missing? That was bad. Still annoying, though. Why had Weiss decided to tell on her? Couldn't she have trusted her for _ten seconds_!?

Well, hours, but still…

_Weiss, you traitor. Why didn't you wait and ask me yourself?_

Did she want the room for herself? Weiss had all but asked Coco if she couldn't pay to have a room on her own. Maybe this was her way of doing it, getting Ruby in trouble.

"You caused quite a panic for your roommate, and one for your warden as well when she realised she could not locate you. You roused quite a few Arcanists who hurried to locate you, only to have difficulty finding you within the Collegium."

That didn't sound like a question, so she stayed still.

"Where did you go, Initiate?"

"Out," she said. "I couldn't sleep. I didn't think it was against the rules to go for a walk."

"It's not, though one would not normally vanish entirely, nor be quite so difficult to locate. Where exactly did you go if I may ask?"

She couldn't say outside the walls and if she said a place and they said they'd checked it, she'd be caught lying and in trouble. Ruby shrugged, keeping her lips sealed shut. Sometimes it was better just to refuse to co-operate. She was already in trouble. No need to make it worse.

"Did you visit the barracks, Initiate? Miss Adel tells me you have a paramour there."

Ruby shrugged. Sure, she could say she went to visit Jaune or Sun, but it would only take a quick question to either of them to prove that a lie. She'd be digging herself even deeper.

"You did not sneak into the library to study. We asked the keepers there. Did you go to practise your magic?"

Ruby shrugged again, not meeting his eyes.

"Initiate, I would thank you to look at me and give an answer."

She looked at him, but as for an answer, the firm line her lips made as they stayed closed was all he would get. He seemed to realise that, sitting back with a heavy sigh. Beside her, Coco squirmed and looked up at the ceiling, muttering something under her breath.

"You are not making this easy, initiate. You realise that you will be punished if you do not speak. There may be good reason why you were missing, and we can wash over this little incident if you share it with us. Keep silent and I'll be forced to treat this as a breach of discipline." He chuckled in what he must have thought was a friendly manner. Maybe it was, but she couldn't say where she'd really been. "I'm sure neither of us wants that. Do we?"

Ruby shook her head but didn't speak.

Grand Arcanist Ozpin sighed. "I see. This is your decision, then? Silence?"

For the first time, she spoke. "Yes."

Coco slapped a hand to her face.

"Hm." He closed his eyes and chuckled again. "At least you're being honest about that. Very well. While I understand that the rules with which we govern the Collegium can seem stifling to some, they are still an important part of your tenure here. An Arcanist must be disciplined, both to better control their powers but also to better understand why rules exist in the first place. Warden Adel."

Coco stiffened. "Yes, Grand Arcanist?"

"You did well given the limited information at hand." His words had the older girl breathing a sigh of relief. "Upon failing to locate your errant initiate, you contacted an Arcanist and passed the information on. Well done."

"Thank you, Grand Arcanist."

"As for you, young initiate, I believe a lesson is in order." He leaned back and tapped the fingers of one hand on the back of the other. "This is a punishment best left for more serious transgressions, but it would not do for me to imply silence is a means of avoiding such, would it? If you will not tell us what you have done, you leave me no choice but to assume the worst. This evening, and for the rest for this week, you shall work in the Sanctum."

The damning words struck like the tolling of a bell.

"What!?" Ruby shrieked, all but throwing herself back. Or trying to. Coco caught the hood of her robe before she could make a run for it. Ruby twisted and broke her grip, surprising the older girl with how slippery she was. All the while, Ruby's eyes were locked on the Grand Arcanist, her heart pounding as she prepared to run – and to hell with the risks. "You're locking me up!? I – I won't go there! I won't!"

If she had to, she'd fight her way out. They wouldn't take her down. Magic – her magic worked instinctively. Could it be used to blast him away now? He was the Grand Arcanist; he had to be strong. It didn't matter. She would fight. She had to.

She was hyperventilating.

"Initiate," he said, sensing her panic, or just seeing it. "Calm down, please. You are not being _sentenced_ to the Sanctum, merely serving detention within it. When I said I would assume the worst, I did not mean to count murder or being a Rogue Arcanist among that."

Heart beating a mile a minute, she lowered her arms. The adrenaline was rushing just below the surface and she was read to flee at a moment's notice. "Detention…?"

"Collegium Guards and Arcanists _do_ work within the Sanctum, both to keep the guests within and to bring them food and drink. That is the punishment you will be given. To _serve_ in the Sanctum for a week, not to be confined there as a prisoner. You will sleep in your dorm as usual, though Warden Adel will be keeping an eye on you. You shall notify her of your coming and goings until this week's punishment is completed."

Not a prisoner. Not being sent to the Sanctum. Ruby's chest rose and fell, her shoulders slumping on the exhale. That was – That wasn't so bad. Just a week, and they still didn't know she'd gone outside the walls. If they did, it would be a lot worse.

Even so, she was shaking badly. Her nerves were frayed.

"Yeah, I get it. Is that all?"

Coco all but drove an elbow into her side. "Grand Arcanist!" she hissed. "Show some respect. He's the strongest Arcanist in all of Vale!"

The strongest…? Ruby's eyes trailed down the man's chest to the Arcanum he wore like a medal. It was the same as Vale's, the coiling serpent, but what caught her eye was that instead of two gemstones, he had four. Red, white, black and blue. But she'd been told you could only learn two. Arcanists could _only_ learn two colours by their own laws.

Was the Grand Arcanist exempt from that?

Coco elbowed her again.

"Grand Arcanist," Ruby muttered without much enthusiasm.

Really, he knew he was the Grand Arcanist and she knew it. Why did these people get so worked up about their silly titles? It wasn't like she ran around demanding people call her Ruby Rose, female. Was it? People had names. Why couldn't she just use those?

Coco groaned again.

"It is fine," Ozpin said, smiling indulgently down on her. "In fact, it's a refreshing change to not hear the words thrown at me by every single person. With this punishment, I consider the matter between us to be solved. Initiate Rose, please keep the rules of the Collegium in mind in the future, if not for your sake then to assuage the panic of your roommate."

For Weiss? After she'd ratted her out and got her working nights in the scariest prison in the Kingdom for the next week? Not likely. Still, for the sake of Coco and Ozpin, she nodded and said, "Yes, Grand Arcanist."

"Good." He nodded at them both. "You are dismissed. Please enjoy your lessons for the day."

/-/

Coco despaired and told her not to get in any more trouble once they escaped the huge building the Grand Arcanist resided within. She then muttered something about losing several years of her life in panic and wandered off, leaving Ruby stood there in the morning sun. Personally, she didn't think it had all ended that poorly. She still got to see Yang and sort things out there, and so long as the Sanctum thing was temporary, she wasn't in any risk.

Positive result all things considered.

Except for one thing.

"There you are!" Weiss hissed, stomping forward with a red face. "I can't believe you! I woke up and you were gone – and not even so much as a note. Do you have any idea how rude that was? I had to wake up the Warden to -" Weiss broke off with a gasp as Ruby walked past her. "Hey, are you even listening to me? Stop! Ruby! Ah! You insufferable little-"

"No!" Ruby spun on and jabbed a finger into Weiss' chest, startling the noble. "Enough!" Her panic, fed by the fear of being caught and then the terror of the threat of the Sanctum, rushed out of her, burning as anger. "All you do is insult and belittle me. All you do is say nasty things over and over again."

"I-" Weiss stammered. "I don't-"

"I'm not good enough! I'm greedy! I'm rude! I'm insufferable!" Each insult was accompanied by Ruby moving closer, pushing her face all but up inside Weiss'. "Well I'm sick of it!" she yelled, making the girl jump. "And now you ratted me out and I got in trouble. And now I'm stuck working in the Sanctum!"

Weiss gasped. "T – The – Surely that's too much. W-Why didn't you just tell them where you went?"

Stupid Weiss! Why did she have to be so damn nosey? She wasn't one to normally get angry, but the adrenaline was pouring out of her and it needed somewhere to go. An outlet. Weiss provided that, and the constant _barrage_ of insults had been wearing on her for days now.

"That's not important. You ratted on me!" She jabbed Weiss' chest again. "You do nothing but insult me and tell me how much of a pain I am to be around. How much I ruin your reputation. If you don't want to hang around with me, then don't!"

"R-Ruby-"

"Because _I_ don't want to hang out with you!"

Weiss flinched back, mouth falling open and something flashing across her face. Ruby didn't stay to see what it was, spinning on her heel and stomping away, hands clenched into fists and teeth grinding together.

For once, Weiss didn't follow.

* * *

**Nuuu, Weiss. Even writing this, I feel sorry for Weiss. **

**While I'm sure one or two might say "Ruby isn't like this in the show…" I'd point out that a) she had a different early life to the show here and has learned to look after herself a little more and b) I believe this would have happened in the show.**

**Sure, she initially hides in Yang and Blake and tries not to bother Weiss, but Weiss' frustrations toward Ruby are solved so damn quickly we don't get to **_**see**_** her reaction. Weiss calls her out in class, Ruby is shocked and then before Weiss even makes it back to their room she's been cornered by Port, who sets her straight. Then Weiss apologises. The show does that a lot, actually. It teases that something _might_ happen then doesn't. Like Roman beating Ruby on the airship and we're ready to see a big fight and... Roman gets eaten in one gulp. Or Weiss and Ruby argue and I'm ready to see conflict aaaand... Port fixes it. (or Raven appears and says "It's time we talked, Yang..." and doesn't.)**

**But we DO SEE signs of Ruby's temper and frustration in the show. Remember in initiation where Weiss insults her and Ruby, in a fit of anger, cuts down a tree? That wasn't some funny accident. That was our Ruby showing some signs of fangs. Bless her. Ruby tried to ignore Weiss' mean words (as she did for days here) but when Weiss continued to be mean, Ruby lost her temper and lashed out, albeit out of eyesight of Weiss. Ruby _does_ have a temper.**

**Weiss in the show just apologised to her because it could become a thing.**

* * *

**Next Chapter: 3****rd**** September (Three Weeks)**

**P a treon . com (slash) Coeur **


	10. Chapter 10

**Glad to see everyone felt as bad for poor Weiss as I did. I was also interested to hear that apparently the manga actually shows a little more of Ruby having a temper and being willing to stick up for herself. Sounds interesting. I never actually thought to read it since I assume it's just the same story as RWBY and thus I'd know everything in it.**

**Is it worth a read? Not just as a "must have" for a fanboy, but genuinely, does it have stuff I'd find interesting, already knowing how the story goes? **

**Let me know. I might check it out if it does.**

* * *

**Chapter 10**

* * *

"You're being absolutely childish."

"I had your best interests in heart."

"Don't you dare ignore me! I am Weiss Schnee, twenty-seventh in line to the throne!"

"Ruby?"

"Ruby, please…"

The pleas went ignored as Ruby took her tray and pushed her way down between two Initiates she didn't know. They looked at her strangely but, deciding if she didn't care then neither would they, went back to their meals. Weiss was left with her own, eventually moving over to a different table.

_Why is she looking so glum? She gets to avoid my `barbaric eating habits` and sit with people her own class._ Stupid Weiss. Ruby growled as she ate, earning bizarre looks from the people on either side of her. She ignored them. Strange looks were commonplace for her. The only thing they did was curtail her ability to lift a few pretty baubles.

With the day's lessons over, dinner was typically a lively affair. The students who were older would have practice and training, or even jobs, but for the younger initiates it was the start of relaxation time. It should have been for her as well, except that she had to be at the Sanctum within the hour thanks to Weiss ratting her out.

"There you are." Coco laid her own tray down on the other side of the table, nudging someone aside with her hip to squeeze in. "Didn't see you over with the other first years."

Ruby scowled at her.

"Don't look like that. I'm a warden. I _have_ to report missing initiates. And it's not really your roommate's fault, you know."

"How isn't it? If she hadn't told, you'd have never known to tell the Arcanists."

Coco winced. "Well… yeah…" She looked away and back again. "Is that why you're avoiding her? Come on, don't you think that's a little mean? She was just looking out for you."

"She spends every day telling me off for something or other. I can't go two hours without her insulting me for my manners, speech, eating habits, the way I wear my robes, how I clean our room or how I apparently sit like a man."

"Ah. That… Weiss is pretty high up in social ranking."

"I don't care."

"Yeah, I suppose you wouldn't." Coco sighed and leaned one elbow on the table. She picked at her food – something which got on Ruby's nerves since she would have _killed_ for food like this and Yang likely still was. "That's not why I came over, though. You've got hours in the Sanctum tonight."

"Are you leading me there?"

"No!" Coco recoiled at the suggestion and shivered. "No, I… I don't really like that place." She wasn't the only one to show such a reaction. The boy to her left scooted away.

"Then what do I do, just turn up?"

"One of the guards will come collect you outside the main school building. They do most of the work there, so they know the way around better than most. Listen to what they say and you'll be fine." Coco hesitated, then added, "And think about giving your roommate another chance, okay? It'll be an awkward few years if you don't."

Again? Why was everyone acting like it was _her fault_ for this or that she hadn't given Weiss a chance already? She'd bent over backwards to try and keep the peace between them. She tried to change her habits to stop Weiss complaining.

"It's not me who didn't give any chances. I put up with constant insults."

"I know. It's just… It's one mistake she's made, okay? People make mistakes. And you could have told the Grand Arcanist what you were doing. Whatever it was, it couldn't have gotten you in more trouble than this."

Coco had no idea.

Rules could be broken. Tenets could not.

And Weiss? Weiss could go dunk her head in a bucket of water.

Ruby pushed the tray away, food and crumbs devoured. "I'm done."

Coco sighed but didn't stop her standing and leaving. "Can't say I didn't try…"

As big as Coco made it seem, the argument between her and Weiss was pretty much unnoticed by most of the initiates. Life continued and the dining hall was loud with noise and the _clatter-clatter_ of trays and cutlery. No one looked her way as she slipped out and onto the lawns, then made her way to the school building as instructed.

The sun was beginning to set and casting a red glow over Vale. The Collegium's walls were tall enough to impede that, casting a dark shadow over half the grounds and the school included. Despite the late hour it was still open, both for self-study and access to the library. A couple of initiates and even an Arcanist or two walked past her as she waited on the steps. One of the Arcanists huffed, clearly having expected a polite nod and a `good evening, arcanist` from her. She fired it after him, acting like she'd been distracted. Which was fair, since she was.

Not with Weiss, though. As much as Coco might act like she was being unfair, Weiss had broken a cardinal rule. A tenet of the slums. And sure, Weiss didn't _know_ those rules, but surely even nobles knew you didn't rat one another out like that.

Her thoughts were on the Sanctum, and what it meant. Ruby shivered and rubbed her hands together. Would she have been thrown in if they found her outside the walls? Maybe. It sounded like an extreme punishment for just that and maybe they'd give her another chance. They might have put her in the Sanctum for a shorter time, though.

How bad was it, anyway? What happened in there? Would a week working in it break her spirit?

_Guess I'm about to find out…_

White gravel crunched and her ears perked up, catching the heavier tread of an armoured boot. Her eyes trailed up the steel-toed leather boots to steel shin plates, a leather gambeson and steel shoulder and neck protectors. A rich cloak in purple hung down the person's back, while a strange emblem of an hourglass between two arching pillars sat on their breast. Scaling higher, she found herself caught by blue eyes and a nervous, almost forlorn, smile.

"Hey Ruby…"

"Jaune!?" Her mood evaporated and a little cheer shone through. "You're my guide for tonight?"

"Yeah. Is that okay?"

"Okay? It's great!" Someone she knew – and better than that, someone she was on good terms with. After Weiss and then Coco, it was a welcome relief.

One for Jaune as well apparently, for his smile became a little more honest, almost relieved. He stood a little taller, less slouched, and his posture switched back to how he usually was, balanced on one foot with a hand behind his head. "Ha. That's good to hear. To be honest, I was a little worried it wouldn't be."

"What? Why would I be angry having a friend do this?"

"Well…" Jaune trailed off for a second before answering, "It's a punishment. Right?"

"You're not the one punishing me, though."

"True." He let the last of his nerves go. "I guess I just thought I'd earn some ire by proxy. Sorry. That was a bit stupid of me. You ready to go? I'll understand if you're not. I might be able to buy you a few minutes to gather yourself."

Ruby shook her head. The offer was a good one, but she'd only work herself into a worse panic. "I'd rather just get it over with."

"Alright. Come on. I promise nothing bad will happen to you there."

That helped more than he knew. In her head she'd imagined hard-bitten men and women and cold walls, cruel guards and harsh conditions. Seeing Jaune took a little of that away, partly because of how nice he was and because he didn't seem much good at lying. Yang would have called him a patsy. He'd have never survived the slums.

"Is that your full uniform? It looks different from the other guards."

Jaune looked down at himself. The purple cloak differed from the usual red of the Collegium guards, while the emblem on the chest and predominantly leather armour was the same. Collegium Guards weren't decked in heavy armour or anything, but they at least had breastplates, bracers and steel-studded leather foulds – the skirt-like armour that attached to the bottom of the breastplate and protected the thighs. His armour was almost all light, and while it would offer some protection against arrows and weapons, it wouldn't do much against a well-delivered knife.

"I'm not actually a Collegium Guard," Jaune said. "I'm actually a Sanctum Guard. We just train together This is the uniform of those that work at the Sanctum."

Oh. That explained the lack of metal, then. Not much use against magic she assumed. The leather would make him quicker on his feet, too, and Arcanists probably didn't rely on bows, arrows or swords to do their fighting. "But you told me you were a Collegium guard like Sun."

"I… actually, I never quite said it." He looked away awkwardly. "I just let you assume it…"

She was more impressed by the deceit than upset. "Why?"

"Most Arcanists don't much like us."

She was about to ask why again before the obvious answer hit. "Oh. Oh, right. I'm not like that, though." Even in the slums she had a fairly good relationship with the guards. Then again, Junior always paid his bribes on time. "Is Sun a Sanctum Guard as well?"

"No, no. He's Collegium. You're really okay with this?"

"Sure." She nudged him in the side with her elbow. "It's not like you're arresting me, is it?"

He smiled back. "No. I'm just showing you around today and making sure you don't get lost."

"Then it's fine. I don't care what colour cloak you wear. Purple looks good on you."

Jaune's face coloured and he looked away, picking at his cheek. "T-Thank you."

/-/

The Sanctum was hidden away at the far back of the Collegium, out of sight behind a wall of prickly hedgerows and a wrought iron gate pulled shut at the front. From the outside it looked like the mansion of a particularly wealthy noble. It even had a pretty fountain and gardens outside, while the main building had beautiful tall windows, expressive architecture and white pillars of solid marble.

"It's a lot less… um… horrible than I expected."

Jaune laughed as he came back from talking to a guard in a similar outfit to his own. The gates opened before them and he led her through. "We have to keep a lot of people here and it was found that the prisoners reacted better to _not_ being treat like animals. That was way before my time. The interior is pretty nice, too."

"No cells?"

"None. Each guest gets a full bedroom with whatever they like in it, within reason. The windows are all covered on the outside with little metal bars, but we try to create the illusion of it not being a prison. Not that it always works…"

_Of course not. It's still a prison._ Even if she was locked inside and had all the luxury she might ever want, she'd still be kept away from Yang. Again, she had to remind herself she wasn't here as a prisoner. "What now?"

"Now, we get you signed in the front as an aide. That way no one thinks you're being put in here permanently. You'll get a cloak like mine to wear temporarily. On the other nights where I'm not guiding you, make sure to come here first."

"Will I be in trouble if I don't?"

"Nothing too bad," he said with a smile. "You might be detained if they think you're a prisoner, but just explain and they'll check the records. Once they see you're not on them, they'll figure it out and let you go."

Jaune brought her into the main building's foyer, which contained shiny floors, pillars and a balcony on a second floor. Several figures looked down from that – some in the robes of Arcanists. They saw her and grimaced, turning away. On the ground floor numerous guards in the purple of the Sanctum milled, while two guarded the door, relaxed but ready to interject if anyone tried to slip free.

All eyes were on her, measuring and deciding what she was. Ruby tensed and Jaune placed a hand on her shoulder, leading her toward a wooden counter, behind which sat a much older guardsman of some sixty or seventy years.

"Ruby Rose for her detention," Jaune said loudly. The guards nearby relaxed and looked away, their curiosity satisfied. He'd done that for her, making sure everyone would know she wasn't a prisoner. "She's going to be working here for a week. Evenings only."

The man wrote something down and placed a wrapped package on the counter. Jaune opened it and let a long – almost too long for her – cloak of purple unfurl. It was so big she had to let him help put it on, bunching it up over her collar and using her Arcanum to pin it to her initiate robes. Even then it trailed behind her on the floor.

"You'll just need to be careful you don't trip," he said, far too amused by her glower.

"Are you calling me short?"

"Snrk. No…"

He totally was. Ugh. Lack of food again, or maybe just her mom, who Yang always said was fairly short herself. Being short and light had always been a good thing in the past, so she wasn't going to get too upset by it.

"You're needed in the Sanctum tomorrow night," the man behind the counter said.

_Me…?_

"I am?" Jaune asked. "So early…?"

"You'll be switching shifts. Almondale is sick and doesn't have the strength. Someone else is covering tonight, but we need you to take over tomorrow and for the rest of the week." He nodded to her. "See her set up with tasks for the full week. If she has any questions, she can come to me or one of the others. I'll make sure everyone knows we have an initiate on punishment detail. Nothing will happen to her."

"Right." Jaune looked bothered, though not at her. "I guess there's nothing to do about it. I'll report to the Sanctum tomorrow morning."

Ruby waited until they were alone, Jaune leading her through one of the corridors, before she asked, "I thought _this_ was the Sanctum."

"It is. Sort of. This is technically the Sanctum Estate. The Sanctum is… it's not something you ought to worry about." He grinned wearily at her. "I'll show you the kind of work you'll be doing. It's not nearly as exciting as you'd imagine."

/-/

"Hey, initiate. Mind if I have a word?"

Weiss tensed, finger holding the spine of a book in the grand library, ready to draw it out. Her breath escaped in a rush from her nose and she turned, forked insults on the tip of her tongue and ready to flay the skin from whomever dared interrupt her.

The words died on her lips as she found Warden Coco Adel before her.

"Warden," she said, bowing her head respectfully as custom and training kicked in. Warden was an honorary title and one without meaning outside the Collegium, but she was a part of that now and so Coco deserved every bit of respect a courtier would. "Of course," she demurred, "I can always make time for you. Would you care to speak over tea or in the privacy of my room?"

"Nothing so formal. Here is fine."

Here? The library? Weiss glanced around. It wasn't really the place for a meeting, but she supposed the people within were far enough away that they would not be heard. That might also be a sign that this was a simple message to be passed on.

In court, the where and when could dictate what was to be said. Clearly nothing with any degree of secrecy required, and thus, nothing she ought to feel too concerned about. "Very well, warden. I am at your service."

"I was hoping to talk about that cute roommate of yours."

And just like that, Weiss' polite smile withered and died. "What about her?"

"You know that my job is to look after you initiates. That includes sorting out trouble, be that you two shouting too much or two roommates having a falling out." The older girl let the hint lay bare for a moment before she continued. "You and Ruby have had a bit of the latter. You know I'm here if you need advice."

"I thank you for the thought, but I am perfectly capable of dealing with Ruby myself."

Coco's face showed little confidence. "You sure?"

Weiss tensed. "Do you doubt me?"

"If I can be frank, yes. I doubt you."

The candid response rattled her. No one would have dared speak to her like that outside these walls. No one would question a Schnee's capability to complete any task, especially not before she had even had a chance to show her results. Her hackles rose and she stood on tiptoes, fighting for that little bit of height – a futile effort against Coco Adel.

_Stop,_ she told herself. _This is the Collegium and she is my superior. What's more, rank means nothing here._ It was painful, but she forced herself back down onto her heels and struggled to hold back her furious retort.

"Is that so?" she managed, words clipped and tense.

"You've not had much luck as far as I can see, and believe me, I've been watching. The two of you have become quite the spectacle."

How galling. How annoying. Ruby didn't seem to notice no matter how many times Weiss tried to point it out. Or to be more specific, Ruby didn't seem to care. _It's like her reputation means nothing to her. Doesn't she see that by presenting such a disjointed front, we open ourselves to ridicule?_

"I've tried to explain the matter to her," Weiss said. "I've told her how childish she is being."

"Ah." Coco looked anywhere but at her. "And in those very words, I bet?"

"Of course."

"You ever think that might be the problem? You calling on me when you found her missing might be seen as a breach of trust by some, but I doubt it would be enough to have her act like this. That said, it might well be the straw that broke the horse's back."

"A straw added to what? I have been nothing but considerate to her."

"You've been critical," Coco pointed out. "And not exactly subtle, quiet or gentle about it. You know, I spoke to her this morning and the one thing she complained to me about was – what was it, the constant barrage of insults?"

"I do not! I…" Weiss trailed off. Her lip shook. "I have offered criticisms… and suggestions. I – I only offer them out of a desire to help her."

"Hmhm. And did you make that clear to her?"

"No." She hurried to add, "But only because it should be obvious. I'm taking time and effort to teach her proper decorum. Me – Weiss Schnee. That is no small gesture."

"It's not, but did she ask you to do it?"

That shouldn't matter. It was her duty to help those below her. It was a charitable act on her side, something that deserved praise or gratitude from Ruby, not this melodramatic cold shoulder. Weiss huffed, giving her answer by refusing to say a word at all.

"Hm. Well, think on it a little. Maybe it's that you're not translating your intent. Or that she's not picking up on it. That might be something for you to discuss between you. Preferably before this gets any worse."

"I am confident we will have the matter solved within the day, warden Adel."

It was obvious from the lack of a response that Coco didn't feel the same way.

/-/

Working in the Sanctum wasn't all that bad.

Cleaning, washing up and chopping vegetables – the exact kind of menial tasks a noble would find appallingly dull and offensive, but which she'd done time and time again to earn a little food or drink. It was downright relaxing, and that left her grinning, especially at the thought of the Grand Arcanist and all the others thinking they'd punished her.

Once she finished chopping a veritable army of carrots and leeks and poured them into the broth, she moved on to sweeping the hallways, using a long broom to dust the floors. Guards walked by every now and then without comment. Whenever a robed figure appeared, however, Ruby's interest peaked.

Prisoners of the Sanctum. People like what she could be. Ruby watched them curiously, noting how they walked and acted, how they held themselves. Their robes were bright and colourful, and they looked well fed and healthy. More than that, they were free to roam the building as they wished. When she'd been made to polish the shelves in the library, much smaller than the one in the school, she'd noticed at least eight of them reading in various spots.

They didn't look or act like prisoners.

But to a one, they _despised_ her. The glares they fixed on her were so much more than what Jaune or the guards received. In fact, they seemed determined to ignore Jaune entirely and focus all their hate onto her.

It must have been Arcanists who put them in here. Or maybe they blamed all Arcanists since the Sanctum was run by the Collegium. Once she realised the chance of talking to any of them was close to nil, she kept her head down and focused on the work at hand.

"Finished."

"So I see." Jaune looked around with a little awe. "Most nobles aren't as quick as you. Or rather, they're as quick but not has hard working."

"You mean they complain and whine," she guessed.

"Ha. Yeah, they do."

Ruby grinned, "So, punishments like this happen a lot?"

"It's not rare. I'd say we have someone on punishment detail every week. Don't let that get to your head, though. There's only fifty-two weeks in a year and hundreds of initiates. You don't want to be sent here multiple times."

She didn't intend to be _caught_ multiple times. _Once I get a better grasp on my magic it'll be easier to sneak in and out._

"You'll be doing the same jobs tomorrow," he said. "But I'll not be around to keep an eye on you, so if you run into any trouble ask a guard for help. Do you want me to write down a list of the jobs or can you remember them?"

"I can remember." Wanting to change the subject, she looked back into the library and said, "Aren't you worried about people trying to escape? They're just allowed to wander around wherever they want."

"It's not a problem. We're trained to deal with Arcanists and even if they did escape, they'd only be breaking out into the Collegium. Once we raise the alarm, every Arcanist will come crashing down to subdue them. And most of the people here aren't that dangerous."

"They're not?"

"No. The really dangerous Arcanists don't let themselves be captured. Those are usually the ones who go out in big battles. Or so I'm told. I've never seen one, obviously." He laughed. "But yeah, the ones who get brought here are typically small deal criminals. They might have misused their power, delved into things they shouldn't or have no desire to submit to the Collegium. They're dangerous, but more dangerous the city and the people in it."

"Hm. What kinds of people?"

"Well…" Jaune glanced into the library and kept his voice down. "You see the blond man there? Jerome DeFort. He was found developing spells that play with people's minds. He had a young maid locked in his basement he was trying to turn into a slave. She escaped and raised the alarm and the Collegium brought him to justice."

"The brunette in the corner," he went on. "Samanara Ansar. Collegium trained. She had a childhood friend that was supposed to marry her, but by the time she got out the Collegium he'd moved on and taken a wife. She killed them both and surrendered straight after."

Nasty people, then, but no worse than what existed anywhere else in the city. The main difference was the power they wielded, which required a more long-term solution. She could see why they'd not want to let someone trying to make mind magics back out. The other… the word `psycho` came to mind.

"And in the corner with the black hair, the one reading that book by the candle? That's Cinder. Cinder Fall."

Ruby saw her. Elegant and attractive with slim features and bright yellow eyes. "What did she do?"

"It's not what she did but what she is. She's a Wildmage."

/-/

Wildmage.

The moniker, the title, followed her all the way through the Sanctum and haunted her after, back to her dorm and long after Jaune bid her goodnight.

There was a Wildmage in the Sanctum.

So close. Within touching distance.

"You had your first night in the Sanctum," Weiss said. It wasn't really a question since she knew that was where Ruby had been. She was sat on her bed, legs crossed and a book in her lap. She'd been awake when Ruby returned. "How was it?"

Conversation now? Ruby spared her roommate a look and turned away, taking off her robes and dumping them by the bed. She heard Weiss' `tut` and instantly decided _not_ to fold them up as she'd planned to, just to show her.

"You can't just ignore me forever on. It's childish and petty."

"I'm getting undressed," Ruby snapped back. "Didn't you tell me it was rude to talk to someone when they're getting changed?"

"Ah, yes. Well… I'm glad you listened." Weiss' deflection turned into a scowl as she focused on the other part of Ruby's response. "Why are you so snappy at me? I was only asking a question."

"I've just got back and I'm tired." Not to mention her mind was on fire with the knowledge a Wildmage was there, close enough for her to talk to if she had the chance. And better still, Jaune was going to be busy tomorrow with his Sanctum duties. "You can at least wait a minute for me to answer. The Sanctum was fine. Nothing happened. I cleaned the floor, chopped food and did chores."

"How menial." Weiss shuddered. "Does that mean this silly little display between us is over? Because it's about time. You made a scene today and people have been talkin-"

Ruby interrupted her by loudly ruffling her blankets and crawling underneath. "Not anymore, it isn't." she said. That had been Weiss' chance – granted since Coco asked so nicely – and the first thing she'd done was insult her again. "Goodnight, Weiss."

"What? Ruby-"

"Goodnight, Weiss!"

"You – You insufferable child! I am _trying_ to make peace between us."

_Yeah, well you're not doing a very good job. _Huffing, Ruby dragged the covers up over her head and cut off the noise. There were bigger things to think about. Much bigger things.

/-/

She was on edge all day. Breakfast was sparse for once and lunch was the same. During lessons, she tapped her fingers rapidly on the desks, barely listening as teachers droned and Weiss ranted loudly and passive-aggressively over her childish behaviour in avoiding her. Ruby sat alone, and Weiss, in some stupid attempt to make her feel bad, did the same.

Ruby didn't feel bad. Her mind was on the Sanctum.

When dinner came around, she stuffed her face and ran off early, dodging Weiss and Coco long before they could try and corner her. Crumbs spilled from her mouth as she made her way to the Sanctum and waited outside the gate, fidgeting as the guard came up.

"From last night," he said. "I remember. Head on in but don't forget to grab your cloak."

"Yes. Yes. Thank you."

She darted across the gardens and up the steps to the main door. Taking a deep breath, afraid to act too suspicious and draw attention, she slowed herself to a nervous walk as she entered and approached the desk. The same elderly man as before was behind it, and he recognised her without incident, pulling a package onto the counter and scratching what she assumed was her name down on a parchment.

"Our newblood is busy today. You know what tasks you're given?"

"Yes, sir."

"Sir?" The man let out a long and nasally laugh. "First time one of your Ilk has called me sir. Polite for a noble's get. Go on, then." He pushed the cloak into her hands and waved her on. "Or do you need help tying that?"

Her bright red face said everything.

Ten minutes and a bunched-up cloak folded over one shoulder later, she rushed into the kitchens, accepted the cutting board offered be the chef – who was neither guard nor prisoner, and just worked there – and started to cut potato and garlic with speed that would have had Yang fearing for her fingertips. The chef must have thought the same for he hovered over her shoulder and told her to tuck her fingers in if she was going to cut like that. Once she had, and once her knuckles were guiding the knife, he nodded and went back to seasoning meat.

No Jaune and no watcher, but she still had the chores. The constant _thunk-thunk-thunk_ of her knife echoed through the kitchen and she filled her board before lifting it up and sliding the finished goods into another tray. Not a soup or a stew today. Apparently, they were having something nicer.

"I'm done with the potato and onion."

"Green beans and asparagus next," the chef said. "And don't mix them up."

Ugh. More? Ruby's feet tapped on the floor impatiently as he brought them over, floating in buckets of clean water. The second they were down she had ten sticks of asparagus out and was slicing them to pieces.

After the beans came onion and Ruby cut and wiped at her eyes with her sleeve, crying like she'd just been told Yang died. If there was a technique to it, the chef was a meanie for not telling her and she had to pause every now and then to wash her face. Thankfully, once those were done and poured into a bowl to be used later, the chef looked over her work and grunted his approval.

"You work fast. Wish every brat we get would be the same. You're done here."

Thanking him and pulling the apron over her robes, she darted out and grabbed a broom from the cleaning cupboard, then scaled the grand staircase with its glass chandelier above to the second floor. Torches burned warmly in their sconces as she tried to avoid sprinting past the guards. She kept her head down, muttering polite greetings as she passed. There was no sign of Jaune.

She swept like a woman possessed by sanitary spirits. Her broom blurred left and right, kicking up clouds of dust that were dispelled toward open windows. A few people looked at her askance, but no one could say she wasn't doing her assigned jobs, so they moved on with hands over their mouths. The prisoners were less charitable about it, scowling at her or muttering insults she could only vaguely hear.

Side-stepping her way down the main corridor, she kept up the frantic pace, making sure to do just enough to show an obvious improvement but not enough to slow her down. If anyone asked, she could play dumb and no one was here to watch her.

The very _second_ she could call it done, she hurried back and stored the broom away, then took her cloth rag and dashed back to the library. Her heart was beating furiously, and her head pounded with it. The very real fear that she might not be there – that she might be doing _anything else_ – had her terrified. She couldn't just ask where to find the Wildmage. That would be way too suspicious.

Relief came crushing down. She was there, sat at the same table she had been the day before, reading the same book by the same low candlelight.

Other prisoners – or `guests` as Jaune put it – were also in the library, but they kept to themselves and few were close to her. There were two Sanctum guards in the room, but they were sat at a main desk and weren't paying attention to anything going on. They were ready to react to any noise or violence but obviously didn't expect any.

Suddenly faced with her quarry Ruby felt lost.

Could she really just walk up and talk to a Wildmage? Just act like that was normal? Jaune hadn't said there were any rules against interacting with the people here, and her chores for the evening were done. She just had to polish the bookshelves here, some of which were close to her. She dithered by one further away, running the cloth over the wood and trying to think up the best way to approach the woman.

What could she say? Hey, I'm a Wildmage, too. What _is_ a Wildmage exactly?

That might get her tossed in the Sanctum.

_But I can't not talk to her. I need to know what I am and why the Collegium is after me._

It took ten minutes for her to clean her way to that set of bookshelves. The Wildmage didn't react, still looking down and reading her book as Ruby stood behind her, so close that if she were to step back her bum would bump into her back. Her muscles were tense. The shelf was polished clean and had been for the past minute. Now, she was rubbing the varnish away.

And then the woman sighed. Audibly.

"Are you going to speak to me or simply stare for the rest of the evening?"

Ruby jumped. The rag fluttered to the floor. "S-Sorry! I… I mean, it's not like I was looking."

"I noticed your interest yesterday. You were with the empty-headed one." The book closed softly, and the woman placed it down, scraping her chair back and turning. Her eyes were a fierce golden colour and looked Ruby up and down critically. "You have not once taken your eyes off me. Either there is something you want, or you find me so alluring you cannot resist." Her lips tugged. "We can retire to my room if you wish it…"

"I'm not like that." Ruby ducked and picked up her cloth. On the way back up, her chin was caught by the Wildmage's hand, two fingers against her neck. Ruby froze.

"What, then, is your interest?" Cinder's eyes burned into hers. "Come to gloat at the dangerous Wildmage brought low? Or is it that the term interests you. You are still young. I bet you don't even know what a Wildmage is. Do you?"

"No." She saw the opportunity for what it was. "Will you tell me?"

"Knowledge for the sake of knowledge." Cinder snorted and let her go, turning back. "I am not some idle curiosity for you to delve into. Leave me."

Fear drowned out common sense. "No," she begged, catching the woman's elbow. "Please. I… I need to know!"

Golden eyes locked onto her again. They narrowed, looking her over once more but with a new air. The woman's lips thinned and drew into a line. Her eyes flicked away, toward the doors, and then she rose, pulling her arm free.

Ruby's heart sank.

"Follow me."

What-? There was no time to ask questions. The woman took her book and walked purposefully away. Ruby scrambled to her feet and shadowed her, making sure the guards didn't see it as her following but instead leaving on her own affairs. Cinder turned left out the door and Ruby right. Then, after a second, she darted left and after her.

They walked by a Sanctum guard coming the other way. He ignored Cinder and nodded to Ruby. She returned it, murmuring something about needing a broom and not meeting his eyes. Her heart was in her throat, but he didn't react and let her go on by. Cinder took another left and passed through an open archway. The corridor within was narrow with doors on either side. Coming to one, she turned and entered it.

Ruby followed.

And was instantly slammed back against the closed door.

The Wildmage was on her – one hand on the woodwork by her face, a knee between Ruby's legs and a hand on her chin, holding her face close. Their eyes were but inches apart, their faces closer still. Ruby froze, one hand falling to the knife hidden under her robes. She didn't draw it. Not yet.

"You're not the first to ask me what a Wildmage is, but you're the first to ask with such fear. The others, they demand answers and walk away offended when I refuse them. They act as though secrets are theirs by right of birth of virtue. But you. You _need_ the answers, don't you?" The woman's lips pulled into a satisfied smile. "Little Wildmage."

* * *

**I know people wanted Weiss and Ruby to sort their issues this chapter. I'm aware of people saying I have a tendency to drag out issues into going on way too long – and I won't say you're wrong. Don't worry. I fully intend for Ruby and Weiss to go head-to-head next chapter. I just wanted to let them have at least a full day of ignoring one another before they confront the issue.**

**On the Sanctum, people have drawn similarities to Dragon Age, which I can see with the Templars and whatnot. The inspiration for it here actually came from DOTA, though, and from a weird source. That card game "Artifact" which had a single card called "The Tyler Estate". On it was an image of a stately building with a gate, along with text suggesting it's a prison for wizards who go against the rules of some conclave. I kind of just liked the image.**

* * *

**Next Chapter: 17****th**** September**

**P a treon . com (slash) Coeur **


	11. Chapter 11

**Note on Updates: Very soon, this story will be going into a weekly update slot. This is because Unseen Hunt (Sunday slot) is ending soon. That means this story will at some point be switched to Sunday update times but will update each and every week.**

**Just letting you know now in advance so it's not a surprise later.**

* * *

**Chapter 11**

* * *

Ruby tensed up. She had her hand on her knife and could have it out and into the woman's body before she blinked. That would leave a body. While she was no stranger to defending herself, killing was one thing she'd always avoided and doing that within the Collegium smacked of a bad idea. Her natural instincts kicked in first.

"Wildmage? Me!?" She laughed. "You're totally mistaken. I was just curious!"

Cinder was having none of it. "Curious enough to ask with such desperation? To follow me all this way? I think not. You need answers in the way a starving man needs food." Her smile grew as she stepped away, letting Ruby off the wall. "But I'll tell you what. I'll believe you. All you need to do is walk out that door and accept that I'll never tell you anything, and I'll believe you're not a Wildmage. Alternatively, you can stay and have your answers."

Ruby bit her lip. She didn't move.

"Hm. That's what I thought. Rest assured, little Wildmage, I have no interest in doing the Arcanist's jobs for them. Your dirty little secret is safe with me."

"You… You said there'd be answers."

"So eager? I suppose you would be. You don't want to end up like me after all." Cinder turned and made her way to the only stool in her room. She sat and gestured to her bed. "Sit. Make yourself comfortable. The rooms are not watched. We can speak here."

Nervously, she made her way over and sat down. The bed was soft and clean. "Are you sure? What if they have a spell that watches the room?"

"You haven't realised?" Cinder laughed. "Try to reach your magic here, little Wildmage. Try to cast a spell."

Ruby did so, almost expecting what she found by Cinder's voice. When she reached for her magic, nothing happened. There was a void on the edge of her mind, suffocating and silent. Suddenly aware of it, she shivered and brought her knees up to her chest,

"You feel it at last. The reason why the Sanctum so efficiently keeps our kind locked away, and the reason why we do not simply break out and take our chances. We are helpless here, locked away and sealed from our magic. That is why there cannot be a watching spell on this room. The blade cuts both ways."

That was why the guards worked alone here, and why they were so unarmoured. The Arcanists locked in the Sanctum were disarmed and unable to fight back. It really was a terrifying prison despite its opulence. Ruby longed to touch her magic again.

"How do you manage…?"

"Me?" Cinder smiled bitterly. "I focus. I study, I learn and I do what I can to ignore the issue. Some are not so fortunate and go mad within the first few months or years."

"How long have you been here?"

"Twelve years. I was… _collected_ at the age of ten."

Ten years old and she was thrown in the Sanctum? What could she have done to warrant so extreme a punishment? "Is it _just_ because you're a Wildmage?"

"Just? You should understand that to the Arcanists there is no `just` where a Wildmage is concerned. No justifiable restraint. No justice. Certainly no letting them go because they're just a child." She sneered. "We are hunted down like animals and locked away as such. And yet you stand before me, in the monster's lair."

"I… My magic was going out of control," Ruby explained. "The Arcanists knew there was a Wildmage. It was only a matter of time until I was found, so I decided it'd be best to sneak in here and learn how to control it. Hide it."

"Not a bad decision, though ultimately flawed. There is no hiding your power. Not perfectly."

Ruby leaned forward. "What _is_ my power? I don't understand and no one will say!"

"Of course they won't," Cinder scoffed. "Do you think such knowledge is freely given by the Collegium? They hoard information to suit their own needs – but I'm sure you're slowly coming to understand that for yourself."

Maybe. But then, wouldn't someone like Cinder Fall be the most biased against the Collegium? Ruby didn't dare say, afraid she might withhold what she knew. Or worse, get her in trouble. A word in the wrong ear and she'd be hunted down.

"Why do they hate us so much?"

"Straight to the difficult question. Sadly, that's not one I should answer."

Ruby bristled. "Why not!?"

"The only answer I have is one tainted by my own experiences. As I said, I was ten when I was taken. How much research do you imagine I did before that? Or after? It's not like the Sanctum's library is any less controlled than your own. I have my suspicions," she said, "But I have no definitive proof on why they hunt us. If I told you my interpretation then you would doubt it. Better you make your own."

"Then what _can_ you tell me?"

Cinder frowned. "Plenty. I can tell you that your power differs from theirs. It comes freely, easily. To us, magic is as simple as floating in a lake, whereas they have to study and learn, chant and control the flows of magic around them. What spells take them a year to master, we can bring out in the heat of the moment." She cocked her head to the side. "I'm sure you've already experienced this. Unknown spells coming at times of high stress or emotion, when you needed them most?"

"Two nights ago," Ruby admitted. "I… I was sneaking back into the Collegium and some guards nearly found me. I wanted them to not see me."

"And so you blinded them," Cinder surmised. "Or became invisible." She watched Ruby's expression. "The latter? Yes. This is what I mean. Without ever learning such a spell, you were able to cast it through desire and emotion alone. That is the trial we face."

"Trial? But it was good! It helped me avoid the guards. And I know it's suspicious if I excel in lessons so I've been dumbing it down and keeping around the middle of the pack." Ruby trailed off, watching Cinder shake her head ever so slowly.

"You don't understand. How could you? The nature of a Wildmage must still be new to you." Cinder sighed and looked out the window, out toward the city she could never venture into. "You did not elect to cast a spell granting you invisibility. It happened. The magic reacted to your emotions and your will, shaping itself and affecting the world around you. I repeat, the magic shaped itself. You did not shape it. At least not consciously."

"I-Is that a bad thing…?"

"It's not dangerous. In fact, it's less dangerous than what Arcanists do, since a mishandled fire spell can cause an explosion. Our spells cannot fail as they take care of themselves. But that is also our biggest problem. Our magic is wild. It acts on its own. Or not exactly on its own," she said. "I don't think it's sentient, but we're obviously not conscious and in control of the delicate intricacies of what we do. You desired not to be seen and thus you became as such. What happens when you lose your temper and want someone hurt?"

Ruby's blood turned to ice. "It would react to that!?"

"It could," Cinder said. "It would depend on how angry you were. Extreme emotions cause bigger reactions; I don't think annoyance or smaller forms of anger would make you spontaneously cast magic, but a big enough stimulus might."

Meaning she could lose control at any time. Was that why the Arcanists hated them, because they could lose their temper and do terrible things without meaning it? That still wasn't fair. There was a difference between willingly killing someone and accidentally causing a death. And couldn't they just teach Wildmages to better control their emotions?

"I'll keep calm," she said.

"That won't be enough. Surely you've also felt the surges."

"Surges…?"

"Moments, periods…" Cinder frowned and struggled for the right words. "You would feel them as a great desire – no, a need – to use your power. A need that cannot be ignored and that eats away at you the longer you hold it in. You must cast. You must use your magic."

Ruby's face had become paler and paler. "I felt it. With my sister…"

"The surges are something that come on when we do not use our magic enough. I don't know why. No one does and the Arcanists don't care to look into it. My personal theory is the wild nature of our magic again. Think of it like a hedgerow. An Arcanist keeps their hedgerow trimmed and well maintained, but a Wildmage's grows and grows without control, and sooner or later is too heavy to sustain itself. At that time, we must prune it or suffer."

"It went away when I used a spell," she said. "I haven't felt it since."

"You may be safer here because you are casting spells more often. Your disguise may well help you deal with the surges, though I doubt it will be enough. You may delay them, but they will come." Cinder leaned forward. "When they do, you must siphon away your magic quickly. Don't attempt to weather the storm. You'll only experience more bouts of wild magic. Find a place alone, away from the Arcanists, and expel it all."

If it was anything like the shakes and sickness she felt when hiding with Yang, she knew it would have to be used. Nothing would give her away faster than a lingering illness that wouldn't go away, and that only did if she let out a deluge of magical energy. Arcanists didn't have to do that. It would have been in the lessons if they did.

Why did Wildmages? Was magic really sentient? Could it be wild, or was it a Wildmage's control that was lacking? More and more questions burned under the surface and she wanted to interrogate Cinder for hours and hours.

But it was late. And getting later. "You should go," Cinder said. "They will become suspicious if you are unseen."

"What? I have so much more I need to know!"

"And I will be here tomorrow. And the day after, and the day after that." Cinder chuckled bitterly. "I'm not going anywhere. Return for your detention, and then stay after. Tell your friend that you feel sorry for us and wish to volunteer to work here."

"Is that allowed?"

"The Sanctum is a void where magic cannot exist. They won't see any threat in you visiting. While you're here, I will tell you what I know of our heritage. There are questions unanswered for me as well, and perhaps you can find information I need in the library."

"I… I can't read," she admitted, face red.

"Ah." Cinder regarded her silently for a moment and then closed her eyes. "Then our first goal will be to teach you. There's not much hope in you staying hidden if you cannot read the texts. In the meantime, I will read them to you for your lessons. Until you can read yourself."

Such a generous offer. Too generous. No one would do all this for no reason. Not go this far, breaking the law, answering all her questions and even teaching her to read. It was just too much for a stranger to offer.

She'd been burned once, with the Arcanist who threw her in this.

"What do you want in return? To be free…?"

"There is nothing more I want than that," Cinder hissed. Her shoulders relaxed. "But I would not ask it of you, little WIldmage. That's an impossible task. No, what I wasn't is twofold. Company for one. Even trapped here, the other Arcanists look at me as some wild beast. Yours is a welcome company."

"And secondly?"

"Revenge. And helping another Wildmage stay out of their clutches is the best I can ask for."

/-/

Jaune was still in the Inner Sanctum when she handed her cloak back in at the main desk and signed out for the day. The man there asked her if there was anything to report and accepted her shake of the head after.

"Your friend will be in the Inner Sanctum for three days," he said, "Come back tomorrow."

"Is Jaune sleeping there?"

"Something like that. Go on, girl. You shouldn't be here after dark."

Ruby scurried out the building and through the garden, then past the wrought iron gates. The moment she was beyond them she felt the comforting rush of magic flow back into her. _I can't believe I never noticed it being taken away. Now that Cinder told me, I can't help but feel it._

Looking back, she saw the tall windows all along the Sanctum building. It was impossible to make out details, but she imagined Cinder sat by one, looking out at her and freedom. The Sanctum could be as comfortable as it wanted to be. It was still a prison.

It was still a surprise Cinder didn't demand freedom in exchange for information. Ruby needed it, so Cinder could have asked for whatever she wanted. Was it that impossible to escape? Were there even more defences she didn't know about? And was teaching her really revenge enough for Cinder, or was she just keeping quiet on her real goals? Ruby's distrust refused to let her accept the woman at face value. It hadn't been proven wrong thus far.

Time would tell. In the meantime, she had plenty to think about. Wildmages, surges, wild magic and spells popping out of nowhere. She made her way back toward the dorms with her lower lip twisted between her teeth.

The invisibility spell had seemed so convenient at the time. It happened, saved her and everything was great – nothing to worry about. Except that Cinder was right. It was good there, but what happened if she wanted to escape a teacher in class and turned invisible? What happened if she tripped, fell, and magic cushioned her fall in a way she wasn't supposed to know?

One time or twice she could probably write it off as being talented, but any more and people would become suspicious. Pull out a really rare spell – one she had no business knowing – and they'd know for sure. _I didn't even do anything. I just wanted them not to see me. I didn't even think of casting a spell. It just reacted on its own and did it for me._

Outside of her control, without even the conscious thought of `spell` or `magic` crossing her mind.

If all Wildmages were like this, did that mean their magic exploded out of them eventually? Did they kill people by accident? If so, why didn't she hear more about magical explosions back home? Were Wildmages that rare? To only have one in the Sanctum was a sign, but like Jaune said, people would fight and die rather than be taken. And if Wildmages had instinctive control of their magic, they'd be better at fighting.

If they came for her, would she fight?

Probably. The Sanctum looked nicer than what she'd have ever expected living in the slums, but it didn't have Yang. If the Arcanists tried to take her, she'd fight back with all her strength, though she'd hopefully be able to avoid that.

"I didn't ask how Cinder got captured," she realised. That was probably something to talk about, especially since she needed to know how to avoid it herself. "I'll have to do it tomorrow."

_For now, I'll hold back on the magic and try not to stand out. That means not getting angry or putting myself in spots I'll need to get out of._ Like sneaking out the Collegium for one.

/-/

Weiss was still awake when she got back.

The noble hadn't been asleep at all. Obvious from the clean sheets on her side of the room. She sat cross legged atop them and looked up as Ruby entered. There was a tenseness to her that had Ruby feeling just as strained.

_No. Can't get emotional. Or my magic might go wild._

"Ruby," Weiss greeted. "I think we should talk."

"Okaaay." She sat down on her own bed, hooking one knee up to her chest and leaning on it. Weiss sniffed at the pose. Or her state of dress or manner of speech. One of the usual things. "I'm willing to talk, but not if it's going to be more of you insulting me."

"Insulting? My criticism is aimed at improving you. At fixing your social errors."

"Which means I'm not good enough," Ruby pointed out. "Hence, you're insulting me."

"I'm not-"

Ruby's brow rose.

"W-Well if I am, it's only because you need to fix those mistakes. A certain degree of decorum is expected of those studying here, and you fall below. Haven't you heard what they're saying?"

"Um. No."

"No!?"

"No," Ruby admitted with a little shrug. "Are people saying anything about me?"

"Y-Yes! Of course they are!" Weiss slapped both hands down into the mattress. "I can't believe this. The others in are year are _constantly_ mocking you behind your back. They call you uncultured and barbaric. They say those from Menagerie are more like animals than people. Even when they say nothing, they watch you and laugh. How have you not noticed!?"

Because everyone laughed at the Dredgers. It was just the done thing.

If a Noble saw a Dredger floating face-down in the river, their first reaction would be to throw rocks. Only after they realised the person was dead would they say anything, and only then how the person was drowned by a family that didn't want them.

Macabre as it sounded, things like that happened. Each tier of the city was one lower than the other. People quite literally threw their trash down on the heads of the Dredgers – and that included their piss and shit. Whenever that built up and disease took over, they'd seal the gates and quarantine the slums until the disease burned itself out, usually along with all the corpses on the funeral pyres.

Compared to that, what did laughter count for? They could call her names if they liked. Hell, she called them names back. Inbred nobles, money bags, sticks, prigs and stabbies. The slums had a whole range of words for insulting those further up the city. Course, Weiss didn't know that.

"I guess it doesn't really matter. I don't care what they say."

"You should!" Weiss pressed. "They can make your life here difficult."

"Can they? I thought we had to leave all noble stuff at the door. None of them have any more power here than I do." Less even, since she was one bad mood away from a fireball. "Just ignore them. It's pointless."

"Social standing matters, even in here. Alliances are being made, Ruby. People are banding together and planning their futures, and they're doing so at your expense. It's even worse since you did so well in Arcanist Oobleck's class. You made them feel insignificant. That's made them even worse."

"Who is they, anyway?"

"Mostly the other girls. The boys have their own issues – mostly jealousy toward the Newbloods since they keep stealing all the attention."

Jaune and Sun? Honestly, she could see why. The boys studying to be Initiates weren't hideous as far as she'd seen, but they weren't going to be able to compare physically to those who had been training for years. Especially not when the Newbloods were out running topless in the mornings.

The girls though? She honestly hadn't noticed. Maybe they were being subtle about it, in which case things might get worse. Or they might not. It was hard to figure out what nobles would do compared to common people.

"How does this make you always yelling at me okay?"

"Because I'm trying to help you!"

That didn't change the fact she was yelling at her, did it? You could punch someone in the face as much as you liked but telling them it was to `make them tougher` didn't make you any less of an ass.

"So you're _not_ apologising for the things you said?"

Weiss huffed. "Why should I? Your behaviour _is_ lacking."

"But I'm fine with it."

"I'm not! Damn it, Ruby, your reputation impacts mine. When I'm seen with you, you need to act more like a woman should!"

Ruby sighed and rolled onto her side. "Then don't be seen with me. Spend time with your other friends, at least when school is on."

"I don't _have_ any other friends!" Weiss shout shook the room and was likely heard by those next door. "There! I said it! Are you happy now? I don't have friends. Weiss Schnee doesn't have friends. You're the only one who talks to me!" Her breathing was ragged, and her shoulders rose and fell as she took in great and heaving gasps of air. "Is that what you wanted to hear? There you go. I said it. Can we stop this stupid arguing now?"

_That wasn't what I wanted you to say at all. And why is you not having friends my fault?_ A part of her wanted to point out that maybe there was a reason she didn't have any friends, but even she could tell that would be too much.

"Can't you just apologise for being mean?"

"No!" Weiss snapped. "Because I wasn't being that at all!"

Was it too much for her to say sorry? Was that really a step too far?

"Does this at least mean you're going to stop?" she asked. "I mean, you tried to… help." For a weird definition of the word. "And I don't want it. So you'll stop insulting me all the time now. Right? You can be nicer."

"I'm already being nice by not giving up on you and letting you act like an animal."

"You're doing it again!" Ruby moaned, voice full of dismay. "I thought we were supposed to be making peace here."

"We are. And peace will be had once you accept your deficiencies and admit that I was right all along." Weiss paused. "And when you tell me where you went that night you ran away. You still haven't told me."

"I'm not going to."

"Ruby! Stop being childish!"

"Weiss!" she parroted. "Stop being a bitch!"

Weiss gasped. "W-What!? I – I am here breaking my back to give you my reasons, to open up and explain why I have been working so hard to help you, and this is how you repay me? By throwing it back in my face?"

Those were her lines. One insult. One bad name and that was it for Weiss to lose her shit. Meanwhile, she had to put up with constant name-calling. Yeah, that was fair. And if Weiss thought she was getting the truth of the other night out of her; she had another thing coming. _You went and told the Arcanists once. I'm not letting you ruin this as well. _But peace could be good, if only to stop her losing her temper.

Getting an apology out of Weiss wasn't going to happen – that much was clear. Would have been easier squeezing blood out of a stone. Much as it annoyed her, there wasn't much point trying. Yang always said to focus on what you could get, not what you wanted. Focus on things that were real. Right now, that was a frustratingly small list.

"Look," Ruby said, rolling over. "How about we make a deal? You stop insulting me, my habits and stuff, and I'll _try_ to learn some of the things you're pushing on me. But!" she stressed. "Only if you tell me _nicely_ and in private. Not yelling it at me over breakfast."

Not perfect. Not even good to be honest, but whatever. It would probably be better to fit in anyway, so as not to draw more attention than being a Wildmage already would. And if it got Weiss to stop being such a bitch, that was a bonus.

"And you will tell me where you went," Weiss demanded.

"That's not part of the deal."

She crossed her arms. "Make it a part."

Piss, how annoying did she want to be!? Take the branch being offered! "Fine! I went to make out with Jaune. Happy?" There was no way Weiss was going to bother verifying that, especially with how red she looked. "I figured you wouldn't want to come along for that," she lied. "But I'll wake you up next time and you can join in."

"N-No. No, that won't be necessary."

Good. Sheesh, she was demanding. "That means we're okay, right?"

"Not yet." Weiss said. "You still owe _me_ an apology."

"Don't push it," Ruby growled.

In a moment of clarity, a rare moment admittedly, Weiss seemingly realised what the noise meant and chose _not_ to test her further. "I suppose we can let it go. Start afresh, as it were. I'm willing to take that step if you are, Ruby."

"Yeah. Sure." Annoying, but then she was starting to realise that was Weiss in a nutshell. "Let's do the fresh start thing. And next time you have something you _have_ to help me fix, how about you tap my leg under the table. I'll listen."

"I suppose that will do." Weiss smiled and sat a little taller. "I'm glad we had this discussion."

"Yeah," Ruby agreed. "Me too."

_I wonder if Jaune has room in his bunkroom._

/-/

Weiss' fingers tapped on her thigh.

Ruby wished she could ignore it – as she did the last ten times it happened that morning. But that would only bring back the fighting so she put down the slice of boiled egg she'd been eating and looked to the left.

Her roommate frowned back, though that lessened slightly as she saw Ruby listening. "Cut it into smaller pieces that you can eat in one go. It's unseemly to bring food to your mouth, then tear at it with your teeth."

"Isn't that what teeth are for…?"

Weiss' glower told her otherwise and Ruby obediently put the slice down, cut it into smaller chunks and used the fork to bring one to her mouth. She chewed – making sure not to swallow instantly – and Weiss eventually nodded.

So many regrets from accepting this. It already wasn't worth it.

"Hey," Coco said, sitting down opposite them. "I see the two of you have made up."

"Of course," Weiss replied. "I told you as much myself. Did you doubt me? If so, perhaps you'll think better the next time. Ruby and I spoke and explained our differences, and Ruby was mature enough to accept my offer of tutelage as to her-" She cut off, perhaps realising the near insult. "A-As to her acclimatising to the culture of Vale."

Coco hummed and leaned her cheek on one hand. "Is that so?"

Ruby glared back at her. Somehow, this was all Coco's fault.

"Heh." Coco coughed into her hand. "All's well that ends well. And I hear you're not doing so bad at the Sanctum. Is it as terrifying as they say?"

"You've never been?"

"You don't get to be a Warden by breaking a lot of rules. So, how is it?"

She noticed that Weiss and a few others around were leaning in to hear, all curious but none willing to risk visiting in person. It reminded her of Jaune saying he didn't like to tell people he was from the Sanctum. Apparently, there was a good reason for that.

"It's alright." She shrugged. "It's pretty nice on the inside and no one sleeps in cells. They have nice rooms with beds, windows and furniture. It even has a library. Smaller than the one here, but big enough."

"Is it true magic doesn't work there?" someone asked quickly.

Ruby didn't recognise the guy but nodded anyway. "Yeah. You can't even touch it."

"Ugh."

"Horrible."

"Can you imagine it?"

Shudders, protests and horrified noises echoed around their little pocket of conversation. No one liked the sound of it. She didn't either, but her reaction had been more shock than horror. Was that the difference for people who grew up knowing they had magic, and likely came to accept it as a part of them? Honestly, if they could have turned off her magic without locking her away, she might – _might_ – have gone for it.

Okay, she wouldn't have, but it could have been a failsafe if all else went wrong. Or if being a Wildmage was as dangerous as everyone made it sound. Yang would have pushed that for sure, but then she wanted her away from the Collegium.

"At least it's just the bad people that go there," a girl said. "Not like we have to worry. If you're in the Sanctum you _deserve_ to be in the Sanctum."

"Yeah. Murderers, thieves, traitors all."

"And Wildmages," Ruby muttered.

"And them," a guy said without much sympathy. "Hey, did you see any? Wildmages, I mean. My dad said he saw one once. More beast than man with red eyes and razor-sharp teeth."

"Sounds more like a Grimm," Coco said. "Which would be rare enough to see."

"Nah. This was a Wildmage. There were Arcanists from the Collegium there to deal with him, and they took his body away. Grimm don't leave bodies." He waved his hands excitedly, ignoring the sceptical looks from some. "The Arcanists had to band together to put him down. My father was among those who did. He said it was a huge fight, and that the guards stuck three spears through the Wildmage to kill him. Even then, he lived for a bit, shouting and screaming as the Sanctum Guards held him pinned down!"

"Tch. Good riddance. Monsters like that earn what they get."

Ruby glared down at her food, for once lost of an appetite. Monsters like that, huh? Like her? Like Cinder, who had been ten years old when they took her and locked her in the Sanctum. And judging from the request for company, her family hadn't exactly taken to visiting. Why would they? If they were Arcanists like these people, they'd just see her as a monster.

If Yang was like that…

No, she wasn't. Yang _knew_ she was a Wildmage and didn't care.

Just everyone here that did. And her, the little Wildmage, stuck in the middle. Ruby's hands clenched into fists. Something warm and wet ran down from them, over her wrist. For a second she feared she'd stabbed herself by accident, but when she looked down, she found silvery liquid dripping down her wrist. The utensils in her hands had bent and begun to melt.

Panic slammed into her. The knife and fork disappeared, swept away into her robes with the sleight of hand only a pickpocket could manage. No one was watching anyway, far too concerned with the story from the noble brat. As for sensing it, there was magic all over the cafeteria. People practising or using it for whatever reason. No one would know, as long as she got rid of the evidence.

But it was more proof of what Cinder had said. Wild magic. Uncontrollable magic. Instinctive magic.

Ruby stood, drawing Weiss' attention. "I need some fresh air."

"What? Ah, wait." Weiss was up a moment later, smoothing her robes down. "I'll come with you."

No one in the dining hall cared, too busy talking about other such instances they'd heard of and how the Collegium stamped down on them. Weiss and Ruby made their way out, Ruby drawing in a huge, calming, breath of air once she was outside. _Stay down,_ she told herself. _Don't cast anything. I'm calm. I'm calm._

"Is this about what they said in there?" Weiss asked, standing before her. "Ignore them, Ruby. They speak about things they've never seen as if they're to be lauded. Breakfast is hardly the place for talk of people dying." She glared back. "Maybe it's _them_ I should be tutoring and not you."

It wasn't.

Not quite.

But it had hurt, she couldn't help but admit.

"Y-Yeah." Her head fell a little. "I didn't like it. Sorry."

"No. It's fine. I'm not a fan either – and for what it's worth I doubt his story. That was Viktor Franz of the Franz House. His father is and always has been overweight and prone to grand stories with little basis in fact. He's known as a blowhard at court. The closest _he_ has come to Wildmage or Grimm is when he reads the words in a book."

"Hah." Her anger diminished a little more. Just people bragging. People being people. She felt the last threatening tendrils of her magical energy subside. Still there, but under control. "Thanks, Weiss. That helped."

"It did?" Weiss' shock vanished in an instant. "I mean, of course it did. And you're welcome. I always help those I consider friend."

Hadn't she said she _had_ no friends the night before? A bit soon to be making grand proclamations like that. But maybe she was just saying what she hoped to be like, in which case it could be let go. If Weiss wanted to be that way, Ruby wouldn't stop her.

All she had to do was last through lessons and find out what she could from Cinder. Learn to read and make it through the Collegium. Once she had a few spells under her belt, she could better mask the wild magic. Explain it away as things she was researching and learning on her own. No one would bat an eye at an experienced Arcanist using unknown spells.

"Lessons?"

Weiss nodded. "Hm. Let's go. And let's sit at the front today. It's anti-social to always be at the back like you are."

"You're pushing it again, Weiss."

"Alright, fine. Never let it be said I am not magnanimous as well as kind. So long as you're not childishly changing seats when I sit next to you."

Still Weiss. Still annoying. One day she'd wring an apology out of her, but for now it was better to have them as friends again, even if it was a royal pain in the butt.

"Sure thing, Weiss."

"And stop answering like you're not listening!"

If nothing else, it was fun to tease her. That would be a good distraction.

"Yes, Weiss."

"Gah! Ruby!"

* * *

**Some Wildmage info and Ruby offering an olive branch to Weiss. Weiss is still unable to actually apologise though; Ruby hasn't so much given up on that as has decided to shelve it for now. It's definitely not their issues being over, more an early peace and their tenuous friendship restored. **

**There are ups and downs to every relationship. **

**Cinder being Cinder in the background.**

* * *

**Next Chapter: 1****st**** October**

**P a treon . com (slash) Coeur **


	12. Chapter 12

**Nothing too zany to report. It's a miracle.**

**Last chapter's explanation of wild magic earned a lot of "like x" comments as usual. I'd say some are more accurate than others. The DnD Sorcerer angle isn't bad, nor is the concept of accidental magic from Harry Potter. I wanted to imply wild magic as being more like nature, however. Hence the `wild` aspect. It's alive and can writhe out of control.**

**This is where some of the similarity to Warhammer Fantasy came in that I mentioned ages ago in an author's note. In that lore wizards use the "Winds of Magic" which can blow more or less powerfully at certain times and in certain areas and always have an element of chaos to them. Draw too deeply or lose control and it can go out of control and lash out unpredictably. Sort of a similar thing here, except Wild Magic isn't concentrated Chaos energy and thus evil.**

* * *

**Chapter 12**

* * *

"This is stupid…"

"Say the words, Ruby."

"But it's childish!"

"Say them."

Ruby growled under her breath and fixed her eyes on the page. She squinted, trying to piece the symbols together and using the picture painted on the page as a context clue. "The… The cat?" At Cinder's nod she continued, "The cat works – walks – the cat walks on the… the glass?"

"Would a cat walk on glass?" Cinder asked.

"Grass. The cat walks on the grass."

"Very good. You're doing well."

Doing well at reading books designed for children! She looked away, scowling at the nearby wall and bunching her hands on her knees. Ruby was sat upon Cinder's bed with the older Wildmage next to her, their legs touching and them both reading from a book Cinder held open in her lap. The book was brightly coloured with little paintings of animals, rainbows and a bright yellow sun with a smiling face etched into it.

"Why am I learning to read a book for babies?"

"Because you must learn to walk before you can run," Cinder said patiently. She always was that, rarely getting angry when Ruby asked a question or complained about not understanding why a word written a certain way read like it did. "I could read the Arcanum textbooks to you, but you would be given far too much information on a page. Not to mention how useless it would be to people like us."

"I still need to know it. What if the teacher asks me?"

"I'll read it to you before your lesson is due," she said. "Now, back to reading." Cinder turned the page, showing another happy image of a dog barking at the cat. "What does this say?"

"The dog barks at the cat?"

"Read it, Ruby. There's no point guessing from the pictures."

With a dramatic sigh she hunched her shoulders and leaned in, staring at the words in big black letters and piecing them together. Some of the words repeated a lot – things like `the`, `it`, `and` or `a`. Cinder said it was important she learned those quickly because they formed the basis of the language. Once she understood how those worked, it was all just a matter of learning the bigger words in between.

Fortunately, `cat` was something she knew by now – the `c` or `curly-cuh` as Cinder taught her, sounded just like the word cat did, so it helped her remember it.

Ruby pointed to the new word. "Dog?"

"That's right. That's a `d` which can also be pronounced `duh`. Duh for dog. And it has three letters, just like cat. Cat and dog." She pointed to another. "What about this word?"

Ruby stared hard. "It's not barked…"

"It's not." Cinder sounded pleased. "How could you tell?"

"It doesn't start with a `buh`. And the second letter isn't an `ah` like cat. Bark and cat would have the same second letter."

"Good. Very good. This is `woofed`."

"The dog woofed at the cat. What is a woof?"

"It's the sound a dog makes."

"It's totally not," Ruby said with a little laugh. "When have you ever heard a dog say woof?"

"I wouldn't know. I've only ever read about them."

Ruby cringed as the room was filled with silence. The book closed with a little clapping sound and Cinder placed it on the side, apparently done teaching her to read for the day. Or maybe even done with her after what she'd just said.

"I-I'm sorry…"

"It's hardly your fault. I'm not an idiot, Ruby. I simply never had a chance to meet any. I did have a horse, however. A beautiful bay mare called Mary." She chuckled. "An uninspired name, I know. I was young at the time my parents bought her for me."

They bought her a horse? Cinder's parents were rich then. Or had been. A working horse could be expensive enough and only the farmers outside the walls really owned them. Those and travelling merchants. You could get a dying donkey on the cheap, but horses were reserved for those further up the city than them. "What happened to it?" she asked.

"I don't know. I used to brush and ride her every day but when I was taken here I never had a chance to say goodbye to her." One of the hands in her lap curled, fingers pulling up her robes as she clenched her hand into a fist. "I expect they sold her. I can only hope she went to a loving home."

It wasn't unusual for people to eat horse. "I'm sure she did. How did you come to be here anyway?" she asked, changing the subject. "You never told me. Did you join the Collegium as well? Did your wild magic go out of control?"

"So curious!" Cinder laughed and petted her head like one might a small animal. She did that a lot. Ruby wasn't sure if it was supposed to be patronising or not, but she didn't think it was. Cinder was sharp and cruel to anyone else – even the others kept in the Sanctum – but strangely nice to her. Almost like Yang, except bitter and callous. "Has this really been on your mind so much? You could have asked me at any point in the last few days."

"I thought you might get angry."

"Not at you, Ruby. Remember that. You and I are the same. If I'm ever angry, please be assured it's aimed at the Arcanists and not you." She spat the word Arcanist, voice laced with so much barely concealed hatred. "And if something you say hurts, I'll do my best to let you know calmly. I…" Cinder's face flickered. "I don't want to scare you away."

Ruby touched her knee against Cinder's. "I'm not going anywhere."

"Because I'm useful-" Cinder began, then stopped and closed her eyes. She took a deep breath. "My apologies, Ruby. That was uncalled for. Where to begin? I was not captured in some grand battle, nor was I a villainous Wildmage out for blood and turning children into amphibians. I was, as you may have realised already, born to a wealthy noble family in the city."

"Which family?"

"Does it matter?"

"If it doesn't matter, you might as well tell me," Ruby pointed out.

Cinder sighed. "Fine. It was the Malneux. My full name was Cinder Malneux, now Cinder Fall – a name given to better represent my fall from grace."

Malneux. Malneux. The name was familiar. Wasn't there a student in their year with that name? She couldn't be sure and didn't really know anyone other than Weiss, Coco, Sun and Jaune. There were names of other people she could put to faces if they were in front of her, but she didn't go out her way to talk to anyone, and most of the nobles avoided her thanks to her gross habits.

"I was a fairly normal child as far as I can remember. I learned to read and write, did well in lessons and looked after my younger brother on occasion. I also enjoyed equine pursuits and was a proficient rider. My father was an Arcanist and my mother a member of the guard – a cavalier commander, in fact – who married into my father's family. I was all but set to follow in one of their footsteps, with the only defining factor being whether I showed any aptitude for the arcane arts."

"And you did."

"Hush, little Rose." Cinder poked her nose with a smile. "I'll never finish if you keep interrupting. But yes, I did show something soon after. I don't remember exactly how it happened, but I do know I was able to levitate several objects in my room – and with a surprising degree of control. Almost instinctual, one would say."

Something an Arcanist couldn't do. They had to focus and control their magic, weave it to their needs and consider every step. Making something float was just like what she and Weiss had done to the study aids in Arcanist Oobleck's class. And just like her, Cinder apparently mastered it instantly. Worse, she mastered it with normal toys and not special objects created to make it easier for students.

"I was excited," she said. "I adored my parents and always wanted to be closer to da- to my father." Her eyes closed and a bitter smile appeared. "I couldn't wait to tell him and rushed to do so immediately, showing off my magical ability in front of him and my mother."

"He was an Arcanist," Ruby whispered. "He knew what you were. Was he made to give you up?"

"Made…? No, little Rose. He was not made to do anything. He was surprised, I recall. Now, I can recognise the look in his eyes but at the time he assured me what I had was incredible. He urged me forward and hugged me, as did my mother. They told me they wanted to take me to the Collegium to introduce me to the Grand Arcanist. They wanted to enrol me in the Collegium. Wanted to take me to see it for the first time. I'd heard so many stories about it on my father's knee that I couldn't help but be excited. I rushed to get ready, not even stopping to brush my mare down." Cinder's breath hitched. "I remember her watching over the fence of our holdings. I remember stroking her nose and saying I'd be back soon. That… That was the last I ever saw of her."

"The rest is history," Cinder went on, voice having lost so much of itself that she jumbled the words, deflating beside her. "They brought me here. I didn't even notice anything wrong. They put me in this very room, told me to wait until the Grand Arcanist came to talk to me, then left." Her eyes closed and she sighed. "It took me three days to realise they weren't coming back. Three days sitting here with a smile on my face, asking the `nice people` when my parents would return for me."

"Cinder…"

"I… I'm sorry." Cinder rubbed her face. There were no tears, but her eyes were red. "I did not expect the telling to affect me so. The grief has faded over the years, replaced with anger. I hate them. I thought it would be easy to tell you." She laughed. "I suppose it was not. Your sister accepted you, did she not?"

Ruby nodded.

"Then you are most fortunate. Cherish her. Cherish her, and do not let yourself be taken as I was. Fight to stay free. Die if you must. It is preferable to a cursed life locked in here."

"Do you… want to die…?"

"No. I want to see them burn." Cinder's eyes blazed. "But that is not your concern. I wouldn't ask you to enact vengeance on my behalf. What would be the point? You would only be captured, and then I'd be responsible for you being here." She leaned back and looked up at the ceiling. "I'll do my best to help you stay free."

Because it was a way for her to get back at them, even if only in a small way. Everyone had a reason for doing what they did. A motive. Revenge was Cinder's, and while that fell in her favour here, Ruby couldn't help but feel bad about it.

"A _real_ family would never do that," she said.

"No. I suppose it would not. But at my age, I could not tell what was real or not. Does that satisfy your curiosity?"

Ruby's head fell. "I'm sorry for asking."

"Don't be. You hold no responsibility for my being here." Cinder jostled her with an elbow. "Now come, how about we read a little more? You're doing so well, and it makes me proud of you, little Rose. I'm sure you'll be reading in no time at all."

She nodded and leaned back into Cinder as the book was drawn out and opened. The reason why she had such a book seemed a lot more obvious now, especially if she'd been looking after her little brother before she came here. He must have been learning to read.

And right now, Ruby was fulfilling that spot in Cinder's life.

_Except I'll do better. I'll not betray her._

"The cat s-said… he said hell- hello? The cat said hello to the dog."

/-/

Something was up with Ruby.

It wasn't her for once, so Weiss wasn't _too_ upset, but she did feel a little spark of something she realised was concern after a few minutes watching. It was a rather unusual reaction for she'd only ever before been concerned for the occasional animal she saw. The servants never required it and her family certainly hadn't.

Ruby had been curiously quiet since the day began. Since last evening, actually, after another return from the Sanctum. That alone would have been reason enough for most Initiates, but Ruby expressed she wasn't bothered by it before. What had changed? Was it Jaune? He'd been absent from training for the last three days now. Ruby told her he was well when she asked, and his roguish friend, Sun – who Weiss would quietly admit had quite the attractive physique, even if he was rough spoken – assured her the same. Jaune was busy with some special training and would be back soon enough.

Maybe Ruby missed him, though. If they were as together as it seemed, she might be pining for his presence. That was a matter Weiss couldn't really help her with, nor would she ever want to. Still, to see it manifesting as Ruby being quiet and studious was a little worrying. It was after one lesson when Ruby didn't get up and instantly leave that Weiss decided to step in. Ruby was gazing over the chatting students – for once paying attention to their classmates.

"Is something the matter?"

"Huh? What?" Ruby flinched and turned to her, eyes wide and incriminating. "No. I wasn't doing nothing!"

"Wasn't doing anything," she corrected, "And I'm hardly a teacher out to trap you. I was asking if something is the matter. You're… You're acting odd of late. Being quiet. Staring at the other students. You only ate enough for a single person this morning."

"I _am_ a single person…"

"Not the point and you know it. Something is bothering you." At least, she thought so. Her experience in such matters was lacking at best and she couldn't quite shake the fear she'd misjudged. That Ruby would look at her strangely and laugh, leaving Weiss embarrassed. "At least, that's how it seems," she added to deflect any blame. "Feel free to tell me if I'm wrong."

Ruby sighed. "You're not wrong."

Ah! Wonderful!

Well, not wonderful that something was wrong, but that she'd identified it. Weiss tried not to preen too much, thinking how if was perhaps better she be a friend and help Ruby with the issue. Self-congratulation could come later.

"Well?" she asked imperiously. "Aren't you going to tell me what the problem is?"

Ruby looked at her for a moment and rolled her eyes, but she did speak after. "You know a lot of the important people around here, don't you?"

"I am familiar with many of the faces within the nobility."

"Do you know the Malneux family?"

"I know of them, yes." Weiss pointed to a wiry boy with black hair and golden eyes off in the corner, talking and laughing with three others. "That is Martyn Malneux."

Ruby scowled. "Is he important?"

"Self-important." Few were important from her perspective. "He's not bad as far as nobility goes but he's quite petty, or so I've been told. I've heard rumours he had a maid handed to his personal guards to `use for their pleasure` because she failed to clean his room properly."

"What!? How is that legal!?"

"It's not," Weiss said. "And I expect were it true, he would have been investigated and punished. Rumours tend to grow out of control. That said, I do know he's the type who has to feel in charge of a situation. He likes to be – or to think he is – the strongest, smartest and otherwise best at everything. He cannot abide coming second place."

"Does he have a sister?"

"A younger sister I think – less than ten at the moment."

"Not an older?"

"I don't – no, I seem to recall there was one. She died in a riding accident. Or so I heard. Martyn inherited in her place and became the heir, and I believe his parents had a second child to act as a spare." It was a familiar tactic and one she herself had been to Winter. It didn't always foster resentment, either. You just didn't know when illness or tragedy would take someone. "Why do you ask?"

Ruby looked away from the boy with a scowl. "Thought he reminded me of someone."

"Hm. I wouldn't be surprised if he did. His type is common among the noble families. I'm sure Menagerie had its fair share of arrogant heirs and heiresses." She couldn't imagine Ruby getting on with any of them. "Did you want me to introduce you? He and I are hardly friends, but I have influence. He will listen if I do."

"No. No, it's fine. But thanks for offering."

She couldn't help but think she hadn't solved the problem. Only fed it. "No problem…"

At least Ruby was okay with her.

/-/

"So," Jaune said. "I hear we've spent the last few days eloping."

"Hah?" Ruby looked up from the pastry she'd been nibbling on, crumbs falling from her mouth and down her initiate robes. Jaune was back and covered in sweat, tunic sticking to him after the morning's run. "Mnghl?" Ruby swallowed before Weiss could hear her. "What was that?"

"Us," he said, pointing to her and then himself. "According to the rumour mill, I've been missing because I've been sneaking out to meet you. And you told someone you did the same a few moons prior. That was awfully romantic of me. Or us."

What? Had he hit his head or- Oh, wait. Her excuse.

"Did Weiss tell you that?"

"I got it from Sun. Apparently, she felt the need to talk to him and ask him to make sure my intentions with you were honourable." His lopsided smile gave away his amusement. "Do you mind telling me what my intentions with you are? I seem to his misplaced them."

Oh sheesh. She could just imagine Weiss doing that as well. It was more a surprise she didn't corner Jaune himself and start the interrogation. It was sweet in a way. In a way that if she'd really been into Jaune, she might have appreciated it. Still less violent than what Yang would have done.

"I may have used you as an excuse. Um. Sorry? I can change it if you like…"

"I don't mind." Jaune flopped down with a boneless quality. He was shaking and red – but definitely not with embarrassment. He looked too worn out for that, literally dripping with sweat that ran down his golden hair. "It's not exactly bad for my reputation if you're okay with it, and I figure you have your reasons. I know a thing or two about wanting to keep a secret." He winked. "And you kept mine. Thanks for that. I'll do the same here."

She panicked for a second and then remembered what he meant. "Is your work in the Sanctum finished?"

"For now. I'm on a rotation, so I'll have to go back again in a few weeks. Don't worry, it's nothing bad. Just time consuming." He yawned. "And a little exhausting. More mental than physical, hence why I don't get out of morning runs. No one gets out of morning runs."

"Your adoring fans would be upset if you did."

He laughed. "I don't have adoring fans, Ruby. Other than you."

"I'm swooning."

"You don't _look_ like you're swooning."

"I'm very good at hiding it." She winked and he laughed back. Just like that, the issue was over, and things were back to normal. If they'd ever been bad. Weiss could have taken a lesson or two. Just apologise, get it over and move on. "Is you working at the Sanctum really a bad thing, though?"

"It's about fifty-fifty. Some people are bothered by the idea I could be throwing them in. Some aren't. It's not worth taking the risk. You okay with that?"

"Sure. Long as I get to use you as an excuse."

"For turning guys down?"

It was her turn to roll her eyes. "Guys don't come onto me, Jaune. Most think I _am_ a guy. You did as well!"

"That was before you started filling out. You don't look much like a man now."

"Are you calling me fat?"

"No. That's not what I'm saying at all."

"He's saying you look less emaciated," Sun said, strolling into the conversation with his tunic hung over his shoulder and his glistening pecs on full display. Weiss was beside him, prim, proper and certainly not a little red in the cheeks. "Which is a good thing. You were all skin and bone before. Now you're starting to fill out and show some womanly charms."

Womanly charms? Ruby looked down and was surprised to find that for the first time in forever, her vision was a little obstructed. "Huh." She bounced on her heels, and while they didn't mimic the movement, there _was_ movement in the first place. That explained why her balance had been shot the last few days. "Wow. I have boobs."

Yang was going to freak.

"Oh my…" Weiss slapped a hand to her forehead. "Ruby, explore them in your own time, I beg you, and not in front of others – especially men! And Mr Wukong, commenting on a woman's assets is the _height_ of impropriety!"

"Even when she brings them up first?"

"Especially when she brings them up first!"

"Then I apologise, my lady." Sun swooped down to rest a finger under Weiss' chin. He smiled roguishly at her. "It was never my intention to make such a fair and delicate flower upset. Though, if I may confess, you're all the more beautiful when you're angry. If such a thing is possible."

"A-Ack. D-Do…." Weiss' pale cheeks turned a dark red and she stammered her words. "D-Do you expect me to be affected by such words? I am a proud and noble lady. S-Such empty compliments mean nothing to one such as I."

"Who ever said they were empty? I meant every word."

"Ruby!" Weiss rounded on her, stiff and wide-eyed. "Now that we have ascertained the safety of your beau-" Sun dug an elbow into Jaune's side and Jaune rolled his eyes. "-I think it is time we made our way to lessons. T-There is quite the day ahead of us."

Ruby tried not to giggle. "But we still have half an hour."

"Now, Ruby!" Weiss' voice dropped, embarrassment dripping from her lips. "Please!"

"Alright. Alright."

/-/

The hardest thing about lessons wasn't pretending to be able to read. It was not showing off more capability than she was supposed to have. When the teacher asked them to work on creating a small flame in one hand, Ruby had to pointedly grimace and think clearly about _not_ making any fire at all, all the while looking like she was.

Under the surface, her magic swirled and twisted. It didn't feel of anything in particular – or if it did, she couldn't decipher it – but if she had to put a word or an emotion to it, she'd go with eager. It was ready and waiting, already as hot as fire itself.

If she let it, she knew she could set the entire room ablaze.

"This is difficult!" Weiss hissed.

"Mmh." Ruby lied. "Harder than before. You're doing good."

Weiss had managed a few small sparks, which the Arcanist in charge assured them was the first step. Elemental magic was much like controlling said element itself, and it always worked on the same principles. Fire burned from fuel, and magical fire used magic as the fuel. It couldn't come from nowhere, however. It had to start with a spark. Ignition. Once they had that, the fire would burn of its own accord.

There was more to it than that. The Arcanist had made it clear how they were to focus their magic to their hands and buffer it, how they needed to cut it off from the wrist and keep the flow steady and sperate. Theory and technique, tips and tricks that Ruby tuned out of, knowing she'd never need them. It was more important to keep a handle on her own. There was a primal urge in her to just summon fire the second the teacher told them to.

"Hah!" A chair scraped back as a boy stood, holding a flickering but steady flame in his right hand. He was the first student to make one. "I've done it! Ha ha!"

"Very good," the Arcanist said. "Now, focus on feeding the fire and maintaining control. Still, well done to you, Mr Malneux."

It was him. Cinder's little brother. Ruby tried to not stare at him. He was innocent of whatever his parents did, literally a child himself at the time. She'd not wanted to judge him but Weiss' depiction of him didn't bode well.

"Our blood has always been strong in the arcane," he said. "My father was an Arcanist and his father before him. It only makes sense I be one of the first to achieve this. I'm sure my fellows will finish their own in but a moment's time."

It was a challenge phrased as a compliment and several of the nobles around him tensed and concentrated all the harder, sweat beading on brows and weak lights sparking in their hands. Weiss was among them, legs and body tense. That didn't help her concentration and she wasn't able to make even the smallest flicker of light, where before she could do so consistently.

_Stay calm, Weiss. You're letting him distract you._

"No? Well, that is a shame. Do not worry, however, I am more than willing to aid our esteemed teacher by offering advice to those struggling." His smile was equal parts satisfied and genial. Easy to be friendly when you had that much of an ego. "Anyone? How about you, lady Schnee? I'm sure you are close to mastering this."

Her voice came out brittle and icy. "I will be fine."

"Oh, I do not doubt it. The sister of Winter Schnee and daughter of Lord Jacques, cousin to the King himself. Why, I do not doubt you are about to succeed at this very moment." All eyes turned to them, some more eager than others. In Weiss' failure they saw a chance to deflect attention from their own.

Weiss' eyes closed, resigned to the mockery.

Ruby's anger flared.

"Ahh!" Martyn staggered back as the fire in his hand _burst_ out suddenly, engulfing his fingers and hand, and quickly spreading down his arm and setting his sleeve alight. He shrieked and waved it wildly, stumbling into another Initiate and knocking a chair over. Two more stood up and moved away, shouting out warnings.

"Aquis!" A sphere of water formed around his hand and arm down to his elbow, snuffing out the fire before it could spread. The teacher lowered their hand. "Mr Malneux, I warned you to ensure there was no flow of mana between your arm and hand. If you give it fuel, it will burn. It is a hungry element we do not control so much as guide. Let this be a lesson to you all about not stopping to gloat when concentration is key. You may sit down, Mr Malneux. Well done on summoning fire, even if you failed to adequately control it."

"But I did! I cut off the mana-"

"Sit down, Mr Malneux. Everyone else, continue."

The rest of the lesson continued in silence. Weiss was the next to manage a flame, taking another twenty minutes to do so – and Ruby let herself come third, matching her roommate and earning a proud smile for her efforts. Both maintained it for the next ten minutes, Weiss with heavy concentration and Ruby feigning even more.

By the time the lesson ended most, if not all, had managed something similar. It was apparently about the technique, and once a few people had it down the other figured it out. Malneux had gotten his under control as well, though that didn't stop a few people snickering at him as the lesson came to an end, laughing into their hands as he wrung out his wet sleeve and glared at anyone he could. Ruby didn't hide her mirth.

"Something you find funny, Rose? I suppose a barbaric animal from a backwater like yours would find the suffering of your betters to be of some amusement."

"You will take that back, Malneux!"

"Coming to the defence of your pet project, lady Schnee? That speaks well of you, being willing to stand in for someone less fortunate." He smiled politely to Weiss even as he insulted Ruby. "We can all learn something from your humility, but perhaps you should seek to better control your _companion's_ outbursts. I've already heard disturbing rumours about her."

"False," Weiss said. "I assure you."

"Is that so? And here I'd heard she was stationed at the Sanctum currently – and for sneaking out to spread her legs for some guard."

Several nobles gasped. The suggestion that she'd sully herself and damage her marriage options was a heavy one – at least for a noble. To Ruby, it meant nothing, and she treat it as such, rolling her eyes and ignoring him.

Weiss was less forgiving. "How dare you! Retract that statement immediately!"

"How can I be expected to? I'm only recounting what I have been told. And we all heard Warden Adel speak of Rose attending the Sanctum. That is no falsehood. Do you expect she was punished and sent there for no indiscretion?" He spread his arms, addressing the audience. "I'm sure the good lords and ladies here can make their own mind on the matter."

They would, and she knew they were making it against her. Why wouldn't they? She was the outsider, the one who acted differently and wasn't part of court. Martyn Malneux was someone important. He had influence. Better for them to side with him.

"Why, you-" Weiss stopped as Ruby placed a hand on her arm.

"Oh? Going to speak for yourself, Rose? Rare. I normally only hear you stuffing your mouth."

"I'd like to say the same, but we can't hear anything other than your voice." Ruby channelled her sister with a huge grin and a confident toss of her hair. Yang, Miltia and Melanie weren't afraid to talk their minds and you couldn't get a word in edgeways without learning the same. "You like the sound of your own voice. Or maybe you're just desperate to be important. Jumping up like that when you managed to make some fire, then setting your own arm alight. I wouldn't be boasting if I were you."

"If you were me, you'd have some manners to speak of," Martyn spat. "And my family name would be dragged through the mud. Maybe it would have been best if your own parents got rid of you at birth."

Weiss gasped.

Ruby's hands clenched. Fire crackled between her fingers, unnoticed by anyone else but felt by her. She knew in an instant that if she wanted it, he would burn to a crisp. She took a deep breath and let it go, closing her eyes and thinking of Yang and her mom.

"Oh. Did that hit a little close to home? Perhaps they already did and that's why you're here."

"You would know all about that, wouldn't you?" she asked. Her voice was calm. Dangerously calm. "Getting rid of family members, I mean."

His eyes narrowed. "I don't know what you're getting at."

"Your older sister, Cinder Malneux. The one your family got rid of when she displeased them."

"Lies!" His face was red, and his eyes shot left and right in a panic. He knew. He fucking knew! And the only thing he cared about was how it would reflect on him. "My sister died in a riding accident. Her mount tripped and crushed her and died in the process."

Her horse was dead then. Blamed and framed.

The fondness with which Cinder spoke of it had her gut clenched into a knot.

"Liar."

"W-What!?"

"Liar!" Ruby shouted, striding forward, out of Weiss' reach and toward the boy who stepped back, suddenly nervous. "Your sister wasn't tossed by a horse. She wasn't even killed!"

Whispers burst out among the class. Nobles huddled together and others leaned forward, suddenly interested as Martyn Malneux gave ground, shaking his head silently and grasping for anything he could say.

"Your sister still lives."

"Lies!"

"Your sister is in the Collegium."

"Lies!" he yelled. "Rose, I _demand_ you take back what you say, or I shall not be held responsible for my actions!"

"Everyone's responsible for their actions! You and your family included! Your sister was a Wildmage-" People gasped; Ruby's smile grew wicked. "Your sister was abandoned by her family and thrown into the Sanctum. Tossed aside because she wasn't good enough – because she might _damage the family's reputation_."

"N-No. That's not true-"

Such a scandal. They'd faked her death for a reason. Obviously, admitting they had a Wildmage in the family would be terrible for their reputation, especially if people thought it might spread in the family. Weiss' lessons were good for something. They'd made it clear just how important perception was to the nobles. Fighting them wasn't a matter of raising to the bait and trading insults. She had to go for the throat. And unluckily for him, she knew just what to use. Cinder would be interested in hearing about this, she was sure.

"Well guess what, Martyn. That could just as easily have been you. And maybe it will be you if you keep messing up like this. Who can say where you'll be in five years' time? Maybe your parents will decide they're done with you as well and you'll suffer an accident just like her."

"Challenge!" he shrieked, finger pointed at her, face pale and afraid. "I challenge you to an honour duel!"

* * *

**Oh Ruby, you and your impetuousness. Or maybe it's just a strong sense of morals, ironic given how much you steal from people. Well, Ruby always struck me as someone to be very serious on what family should and shouldn't do. **

**The duel between school rivals angle is a common trope, I suspect. I can think of at least ten books, anime or games that have used it in a similar concept from Harry Potter to Zero no Tsukaima, Top Gun to Irregular at Magic School. I'm calling Top Gun a school since I think the boxing match happened while they were in training to become pilots. It's probably one of the most commonly used tropes ever, but that doesn't necessarily make it bad in my mind. It's a good way to establish culture, conflict and how combat works in a story. Most of those stories use it for that purpose – with it being in things like Harry Potter, our first real instance of seeing what "wizarding combat" looks like.**

**Anime tends to do the same, but also use it to hype up their harem protagonist, usually by having him (and nine times out of ten it seems to be a him) be all stoic and silent, then suddenly pull out mystical powers to "Omae wa mou shindeiru" their opponent. Then all the harem girls can squeal, gasp, tsundere or `become interested (read; obsessed) in his technique` - delete as appropriate.**

**I'll be avoiding that with Ruby, though hopefully you can see how that would be a problem anyway, since she VERY WELL could kill her opponent in an instant if she lost control.**

* * *

**Next Chapter: 15****th**** October**

**P a treon . com (slash) Coeur **


	13. Chapter 13

**Important Note**

**This story is going to be updated on different days from now on.**

**Basically, Tuesday is a slot to rotate in new stories on a bi-weekly schedule until another slot frees up, so Arcanum is going to become a weekly story. This will be the last time it is on a Tuesday – and it will after this be released each Sunday. However, this won't start until Sunday 27****th**** October, after which it will be every seven days.**

**If you're using alerts then it'll tell you when it's updated but I'm mentioning it here so you all know in advance.**

* * *

**Smaller note: This caused confusion in Forged Destiny and has again to one or two people here, so I shall reiterate. When a medieval story refers to "court" or "royal court" it doesn't mean someone being sued or charged in a court of law. It's basically the seat of power and where nobles and courtiers (hence the name) gather to discuss affairs of state. Think of it more as parliament or the senate, except with more power in the ruler and a lot of diplomatic, marriage and trade deals being made between powerful people.**

* * *

**Chapter 13**

* * *

Weiss pushed past Ruby with a loud snort that burst into laughter. "A duel? With what? We've barely learned to cast a fire spell and you already saw how that went. What are you going to do, set fire to yourself again?"

"This is none of your business, Weiss Schnee."

"Oh, but it is. You see, this is my companion you are challenging, not to mention calling a liar. Do you mean to imply I would be so gauche as to let that insult pass? You are suggesting my choice in associates is circumspect. I should be the one challenging you for that."

"What? No!" Martyn looked around for help and found little. Subtly mocking Weiss was one thing, but apparently challenging her to a duel was another. So was backing down. He drew a sharp breath and squared his shoulders. "I mean no insult to you, Lady Schnee, but your _companion_ has insulted not just myself but my family. She implies that my family – the esteemed Malneux family which has served Vale for generations – harbours the blood of _Wildmages_. Surely you cannot expect me to back down in the face of such an offence! She insults my mother and father, and in their absence, it is my right – nay, my duty – to defend them. Or do you disagree? Would you let such insult slide were it _your family_ which was dragged through the mud?"

Weiss tutted under her breath and her eyes slid back to Ruby.

The momentum had turned against her. Ruby herself was lost in the byplay but it was obvious Martyn had struck a blow by bringing family honour into it. Weiss was rigid and caught, left to choose between what was apparently family honour and personal.

That, at least, Ruby understood. It was street cred, pure and simple. Weiss' reputation within the Collegium was on the line. If she didn't defend the friend, she'd come out to protect, she'd look a coward. If she did defend her, she ran into whatever Noble problems it caused. Martyn was smirking already, and the crowd had begun to whisper. There was blood in the water.

"Thanks for the thought, Weiss," Ruby said loudly, stepping up past her to take the heat. "But you shouldn't waste your time with a nobody like him. He isn't worth it."

The crowd shifted to look at her and Martyn's smile fell. His eyes burned with so much fury that she might as well have killed his sister herself. Ruby stared back, legs tensed and ready to attack if he so much as made a move. She may not have known much about how nobles did their honour duels, but she knew how to look and talk big and protect her reputation. Yang made sure of that.

"_Doesn't matter if they're bigger or stronger than you,"_ Yang would say, _"The only thing that matters is that you face them head on. Win or lose, you'll come out better than if you back down."_

People were animals like that. You snarled, bit and tried to look bigger than you were, and if you did good enough the other person would decide it wasn't in their interests to fight you. And even if they did, so long as you did enough damage, everyone watching would know better than to start something as well. In the slums, a broken bone or open wound could be a death sentence, especially with how rare proper healers were.

"Worth it? I am from the esteemed Malneux family. I have not even heard of the Rose family."

"Menagerie was destroyed," Weiss said. "Do you know make light of tragedy?"

"Of course not. The fall of the esteemed empire of the faunus was nothing less than a travesty. Such allies will be sorely missed. Still, she comes here and sticks her nose in business that does not concern her. I will have honour. Either she retracts her spurious statement and apologises to me on behalf of my family, or I shall have justice."

Weiss nudged her side urgently. "Do it," she whispered. "Take it."

And back down? Ruby laughed. "I'm not apologising for the truth."

"There we have it," Martyn said, holding his arms out wide. "You have insulted my family and you refuse to apologise. I demand honour in the form of a duel. Do you accept it, Rose? Or shall you bend knee to your betters in chastisement?"

Weiss all but drove an elbow into her back. If she hadn't been used to taking hits like that, she might have been winded. As it was, she bumped forward and her eye twitched, but she kept her glare locked on his. None of this was about Cinder for him. He just wanted his stupid family honour kept – as if they'd been sullied by the birth of her and not the fact they betrayed and threw her away like a piece of trash. Honour had a different meaning for nobles than it did the common folk.

"Name a time and place. I'll be there."

Behind her, Weiss sighed explosively.

"Two days hence – on the day of rest. We shall meet at noon in the Crimson Arcana training grounds."

"Fine by me." Ruby summoned a ball of fire into her hands, shocking the class with how easily she learned the class' lesson, the same one that had caused Martyn to set fire to himself. His face paled as well. "Try not to waste of my time."

/-/

"What were you thinking!?"

"Ow…" Ruby poked a finger in her ear and rubbed it around. "You don't have to shout at me. I'm right here."

"Apparently I do!" Weiss shrieked, "Because you were `right there` in class as well but I couldn't get it into your thick skull to not accept his challenge! By the Gods," she snapped, "How can you be so reckless? Do you have _any idea_ what you've done?"

"Started a fight with some stuck-up idiot?"

"Is that all you think it is? Ruby, you didn't insult Martyn Malneux. You insulted _everyone_ Malneux. This isn't a spat between two students; it's a feud between the Rose and Malneux families now, and bloody skirmishes and trade wars have taken place over lesser insults than you delivered."

It wasn't that bad, surely? And besides, there wasn't a Rose family. They couldn't even find or go for Yang since she had a different last name. "Meh. It's fine. We're in the Collegium and they said noble stuff is left outside the wall. What's the worst that can happen?"

"They could make your life difficult once you leave the Collegium. They could oppose you every step of the way in court."

That was assuming she had any plan of joining the royal court once she graduated. There wasn't much chance of that happening, both because she had no interest and because she had no power or wealth. Faking nobility and an Arcanum might have been enough to get in the Collegium, but it wouldn't do much after.

"It's fine. I don't really care about that stuff."

"Then you should at least care about how he can make your life difficult here. Even without the influence of his parents, there are other students who can't afford to go against him. Whether they agree with you or not, they will have to pick sides between the Malneux and Rose family. Few are going to risk throwing their lot behind a foreign house, let alone one that has been wiped out. And I mean no offence there."

"None taken. It's fine, though. Really." It was nice of Weiss to worry and even more that she got involved, but it wasn't needed. "You don't need to take my side either if it means you're in a bad spot."

"Ruby, you're my friend!"

Yeah, she still wasn't sure how much Weiss knew about friendship. Not that she disagreed with the idea – Weiss had with today's standing up for her proved to be an ally – but that still made her a clumsy and bossy friend at best. Maybe it'd be best to try and explain.

"I know you are, but I'm your friend too, right?"

Weiss nodded eagerly.

"Then that means I get to worry about you the same you do me – which means if your reputation is going to be in trouble by helping me, I should try and stop you. Just like you tried to stop me."

Weiss stared at her, lost. Ahah! Logic. That was the way to beat Weiss down.

"I… well… I cannot argue with that… However," she said, regaining herself, "My family honour is strong enough to weather anything Martyn might think to throw my way, and the Schnee house has numerous important trade deals and the ear of the King. Even if I were to strike him across the face, his family would not dare make a public affair of it. At best, they would speak to my father in private and request he chastise me."

_Why do you sound so proud of being that spoilt?_

Ruby had to fight back a laugh. Weiss was Weiss, it seemed.

"Fine. As long as you're okay." Ruby sat on the bed. "Don't worry about the duel, though. I mean, what is he gonna do? It's like you said, we barely even know any spells. We're more likely to set fire to ourselves than each other."

"There is that, I suppose. It's not going to be much of a fight."

Weiss relaxed and sat down herself, running her fingers through her long hair. Ruby watched a little jealously. Her hair had to be cut short when one of the urchin hunters tried to catch her for one of the brothels outside the walls and grabbed her by her hair. She'd cut a knife through it without thinking, took a finger from the asshole too. That, she didn't regret quite so much. Maybe she could grow it long again in the Collegium.

"Why were you so upset?" she asked.

Ruby blinked away her nostalgia. "Huh?"

"Is it something that happened in the Sanctum? I suppose it must be since you mentioned a family member of his being kept there. Is it true?"

"Yeah. His sister is a Wildmage."

"I see." It meant a lot to her that Weiss didn't call her a liar like he had. That wasn't to say she believed her, but at least she didn't call her out on it. "To have a Wildmage in a noble bloodline is a scandal for sure. I can see why he would try to deny it, to distance himself from any atrocities she might have committed."

"There weren't any."

"Excuse me?"

"The woman – Cinder," she said, tired of referring to her so distantly. "She was locked away when she was a child, literally a day or two after they realised what she was. She didn't even know. They didn't tell her or say goodbye, just threw her in the Sanctum and left her to figure out what was going on. She grew up there."

"Oh… I… that is…" Weiss picked her words carefully. "I can see that bothers you. I mean no offence but… you realise being a Wildmage _is_ a crime. The Sanctum is what awaits them…"

"It's not that! It's the fact they betrayed her. Family shouldn't betray family. They could have talked to her. They could have said something! Shit, the least they could do was put her in there but visit – still love her like their daughter and not just lie and pretend she never existed! Instead, they just washed their hands of her. She was a child, Weiss! A fucking child!"

For once, Weiss didn't berate her on her language. "You're right. Wildmage or no, they had a responsibility toward her. They could have preserved their reputation by publicly hiding her away but continuing to visit and care for her in secrecy."

"Exactly!"

"Family is important to you, I take it. Is that a house creed of the Rose family? That you look after one another?"

"No. It's what my sister taught me." Ruby jutted her jaw out. "And what I believe."

"It's not so bad a belief. Or a creed." Weiss smiled whimsically. It faltered a few seconds later. "But you should know that it's not something many people will share, at least not openly. I doubt you'd find a single person who wouldn't agree in private or with the sentiment – perhaps even Martyn – but the life of a Noble is far more cutthroat. If I had been born a Wildmage, I dare say my father would not have sent me to the Sanctum. He would have smothered me as a baby and claimed I died in childbirth."

Ruby clenched her teeth together. "That doesn't make what they did right."

"No, it doesn't." Weiss sighed. "Starting a house feud on behalf of someone locked in the Sanctum, though? Really, Ruby, you choose the strangest battles to fight. You're the most bizarre noble I've ever dealt with."

"That's why you like me. Right? Can you imagine being friends with me if I was like the others?"

"No." Weiss chuckled. "I cannot."

/-/

"You're so reckless…"

"He insulted you!" Ruby whined. "I couldn't accept that."

Cinder rolled her eyes and folded the page in her book, placing it down on the side. "I really don't see why not. I am flattered, Ruby, really, but my little brother was a child when I was sent away. He still is by the sound of it, though clearly not the young boy who I loved so dearly. It doesn't help me that you fight for my honour."

"It makes _me_ feel better…"

"Ironically, I would call that a more suitable reason." Cinder tapped her nose. "But it does not make it any less reckless. You have to stay hidden, little Rose. While I would appreciate the company, I don't want you locked in here like I am."

Ruby huffed. "Yeah well, what's done is done. Besides, it's not even gonna be a proper fight."

"Going to be. Not _gonna_."

"Ugh. You sound like Weiss."

"Your roommate, I presume? Well, we would both be of noble birth. You could catch a switch for mangling your words like that." Cinder affected a pompous voice. "A lady should speak with clear poise and grace, caressing each word with delicate care and attention."

"Nope," Ruby said, purposefully popping the p just to drive it home. "Sounds borin'. I'm not gonna."

"I won't waste the effort trying then. Still, be more careful. This duel may be more trouble than you realise. I know he cannot adequately cast," she said when Ruby made to complain. "But _you_ can. You can quite easily flay the skin from his bones or immolate his body or summon vines from the ground to wrap and ensnare him. Things you should not be able to do at your level of education!"

Because she was a Wildmage. Ruby ducked her head, conceding the point in silence. Cinder was right, she'd let her anger get away from her and this was going to be a much more dangerous affair for her than Martyn, though not in the way he expected.

"I'll stay in control."

"I hope so."

"It'll probably just be me beating him up anyway. I asked Weiss and there aren't any rules against it – the Crimson Arcana mix melee with magic so I can do the same. Or not even mix it at all." He didn't have the fine enough control to cast any magic and she could close the distance and make it a fistfight. He was bigger and taller than her, but she was quick, vicious and had been in more fights than she cared to admit. "I won't even use magic to beat him."

"That would be best. Your reputation might suffer but… well, it is clear you don't care for it and his will suffer worse. They'll call you a brute."

"They already call me a barbarian for how I eat."

"You _are_ looking a little less emaciated. The food at the Collegium is doing you well."

"Hey Cinder. There's something I wanted to ask…"

"Hm?"

"You know a lot about the Collegium, but you were brought here when you were a child and locked up. How do you know about the Arcana and the Collegium if you're a prisoner? It can't all be from reading."

"You would be surprised. The Sanctum serves as an inescapable prison for us so they don't much care what reading material we have access to. There are no spells, of course, but the history of the Collegium is covered in detail. I believe it is some vapid attempt to make us feel included, or perhaps to convince us that the Collegium only has our best interests at heart. Beyond that, there are other Arcanists here who talk."

"I thought no one liked you because you were a Wildmage."

"That is true," she said, brushing away some long hair from her face. "But I am also a young woman, and I am told, quite an attractive one."

The implication wasn't lost on her. "Oh…"

"Do you think less of me?"

"N – No. I mean, you do what you have to. Right?"

"Yes. I am a prisoner without anything to trade but myself. Many a man and woman has graced my chambers and my body, sometimes for information, sometimes for objects. When I was younger, even because I longed for comfort or attention." Cinder laughed bitterly. "I was a vulnerable young girl thrown into a new world without guidance once upon a time. Not every guest in the Sanctum is innocent. Many are locked away for good reason."

"I… I'm sorry…"

"Don't be." Cinder laid a hand on her shoulder and cupped her cheek, drawing her face up. "You did not put me here and I would not see you join me. Though," she teased, "You are quite adorable in your own way. If you wish it, you could also share my bed."

Ruby's face burned bright red. "Don't tease me!"

"Who is teasing, little Rose?"

"You!" Ruby pushed her away and Cinder's smile said it all. "Ugh. You're worse than my sister sometimes. Besides, I'm not here for that and I wouldn't do it to you if I was. Is it better now at least? It doesn't happen anymore?"

"Not with me as the victim, no. I dally, occasionally, but only by choice. It _is_ rather boring in here."

"Then that's fine. Still gonna beat your brother up, though. He deserves it – and not just for what he said about you, but for being an ass." Ruby pushed that aside. "But there was something else I wanted to ask you. Something important."

"Oh? Go on."

"_Why_ do Arcanists hate Wildmages? Why are we locked away?"

Cinder smiled. "I do not know."

"What?"

"I'm sorry, but I don't know. The fact that Wildmages are locked away is contained within the books I've read but the reasons are never given – oh, they say we are dangerous and hold power, but what Arcanist doesn't? That is obviously a shallow justification and I doubt it is the real reason at all."

Yeah, it didn't sound like it. Too vague to hunt every single one down. "Do you have any ideas?"

"I have theories," Cinder said carefully.

"Yeah?"

"But I do not think I should give them to you. They are solely my own and based on nothing more than what I have been able to figure out – and that," she said, "is circumspect. I'm hardly unbiased and my world has been the Sanctum for the last decade. I'd convince you of my beliefs, but they would be no more accurate for it. I think you should make your own conclusions."

"Is it that big a deal?" Ruby asked.

"Perhaps. Perhaps not. But I myself am curious as to the true reasons and you're in a better position than I to find out. I can pose a small question as to my own if you wish it. Something to make you think, if not to give you the answer I found."

A riddle? Ugh, she wasn't good at those. "Sure. Hit me."

"Hit you…?"

"It means tell me."

"Hm. Street slang is rather unique. Very well, ask yourself this, why is it that Arcanists are limited to two Arcana? Do not answer now," she said quickly. "Think on it. Consider. Ask around if you will – I doubt it is a question considered taboo. Tell me what answers those around you give, and what answer you come upon."

Two Arcana. The gems set within the Arcanum. There were two slots in her own, both the Menagerie one and the one she'd stolen from the Arcanist before, which she'd thrown away before coming to the Collegium. Arcanists were only allowed outside the Collegium once they received a single gem. It was important in some way, that much was clear.

"Alright. I'll ask around."

"Good. Now come here, it's time for your lessons."

/-/

People kept whispering about her in class.

Martyn Malneux was watching her as well, but it was the whispers that got to her. Those couldn't be blocked out and kept getting louder whenever they weren't in class. They even followed her into the food hall where she'd normally have the pleasure of drowning herself in fine spices and thick cuts of meat. Manners or no, it wasn't easy to eat with so many people watching.

"Don't they have anything better to do?"

"Not really," Weiss said. "It's the lunch hour."

"Then eat!"

"Not everyone wastes away if they miss a meal. And you _did_ start a feud with Martyn. That's not something people just ignore. Why, if this were court, it would be the height of gossip. Families would already be picking sides and calling in favours."

"Over an insult?"

"Certainly. Insults are big business."

Nobles were stupid. She'd known that before, but this was proof. You couldn't waste time getting worked up over harsh words in the slums. Yesterday's enemy could become today's drinking partner if it meant making a few extra lien or earning a loaf of bread. You only really made an enemy if you stabbed someone in the back, and that wasn't done without serious rewards. Once you were known as a cheat, no one was going to do business with you. Junior was always clear they did good and honest business. If she'd stolen or short-changed a client, he'd have beaten her black and blue, but she'd have gotten away with that as a lesson. None of this `feud` nonsense.

"You really are trouble," Coco said. She'd come and sat with them again, and Ruby had a suspicion it was to stop someone else doing so and making things worse. "You realise I've had to tell the Arcanists, right? They're going to be aware of this."

"Will they stop it?" Ruby asked. It might be a convenient way out if they did.

"No. Spars are commonplace, especially with the Crimson Arcana. They will be watching, however. Only to make sure no dangerous spells are cast or any magic gets out of control."

Great. Even more people to notice she was a Wildmage. Wonderful. _I should have backed out the fight while I had the chance._ There was no retreating now – and she wasn't sure she would looking back. She _should_ have avoided it, but she'd be damned if she let that smug son of a bitch make light of throwing away his own sister.

"I have a plan." she said.

"Does it involve you taking him on in melee?" Coco asked. "Ha. Don't look so surprised. You've been here a week or two at best – what spells are you going to know? Everyone knows this is going to come down to a stupid brawl. Just keep in mind he's bigger than you."

If Coco knew then there was a good chance he did. He probably thought it'd be as easy as Coco made it sound – weight played a big part in a fight between amateurs. Lucky for her she wasn't that.

"What is the Crimson Arcana like?" Ruby asked. "I keep hearing about them and we're fighting at their place."

"They're the combat-focused Arcana," Coco explained. "Red gems. You've probably seen a few. You can call them the red or crimson arcana, but they prepare crimson. All the Arcana do. Ask any green and they'll politely ask you to call it Emerald Arcana." She laughed. "I guess even when you're an Arcanist, people like to sound more important."

"They're soldiers, then?"

"No. Arcanists don't fight in the military to prevent huge losses on both sides. It's more the school of magic you focus on learning. Green – sorry, Emerald – is healing magic. Crimson is combat. It's mostly used against Grimm and Rogue Arcanists. A big part of their job is hunting them down. I wouldn't worry about it just yet, Malneux would have chosen it because they have actual training rings to fight in, not because it gives him an edge."

"Would he have contacts in the Crimson Arcana?"

"Almost certainly," Weiss said, "But they couldn't interfere, surely…" That was aimed at Coco.

"With Arcanists watching?" Coco laughed. "He better hope that isn't his plan. If someone tried to interfere in your fight and actually hurt you, that'd be breaking the tenets. They'd be looking at the Sanctum."

No one would risk that. Ruby relaxed. "Could he ask for training?"

"Maybe. Not sure how much he could learn in two days, though. If you want my advice, if he tries to cast a new spell just rush him. You know by now how important concentration is, and actually learning a spell is the easy part. It's maintaining focus that's hard. That's a big part of what the Crimson Arcana does – training under intense conditions to keep casting. He's not going to have that, so if you keep him distracted, he'll be hopeless."

Weiss coughed. "While we appreciate the advice, Warden Adel, should you really be helping us?"

"No rules against it. Maybe I've just become fond of you two. I've spent enough time dealing with your little problems that I'd have to like you, or I'd have gone mad by now."

"I still think you're too overconfident," Weiss said. "You can't not take this seriously, Ruby."

"I _am_ taking it seriously. It's just… what can he do?"

"What if he's mastered a spell in secret?"

"Not likely," Coco murmured.

"Even if he has, the worst that happens is that I lose. This isn't to the death, is it?"

"Illegal in the Collegium."

"Good. See? Worst case I lose, and people turn on me. No one is willing to stick up for me anyway since there's no benefit in my friendship, so nothing changes."

"I am," Weiss whispered.

"I know. Will that change if I lose?"

"No."

"Then it doesn't matter. I win, it's dealt with. I lose, it's dealt with."

She could get her own back on Martyn in other ways – stealing and fencing his stuff or causing more accidents in class. No one said she had to be a good sport about losing if he wasn't going to apologise. As long as she kept the fact she was a Wildmage hidden.

"Sounds like you're having doubts already to acknowledge my victory so soundly." Martyn strode up alone, his friends not quite as willing to approach Weiss and Coco as he was. Or maybe he had to – some noble bravado demanding he act. "There is still time to avoid this if you wish it. I am not unreasonable and if you apologise profusely for your slanderous words, I may yet show mercy. Some small recompense as reparations would suffice."

"Awfully generous of you," Coco said neutrally.

"The Malneux is a generous family and I was raised in kind. I do not _wish_ to fight a young girl but if she will lay stain upon my family, I must. To imply we would beget such filth as a Wildmage is a grave offence."

Filth…? Ruby's teeth ground together.

"Ruby," Weiss whispered, tapping her leg.

Biting back on her rage, she closed her eyes and settled down. It wasn't worth it to cause a scene.

"I'll see you tomorrow, Malneux. Be sure you're ready to fight."

"This madness continues, then? A shame." He shook his head, as if commiserating her stubbornness before an audience of his peers. "I have tried to spare you and been quite generous about it. If you will not see reason, I shall be forced to act. Tomorrow then, Rose."

He strode away.

"He's confident," Weiss said. "He has something planned."

Of course he did. Only an idiot would go into a fight without a plan.

"I hope you know what you're doing," Coco said.

_Yeah. Me too._

/-/

The Crimson Arcana training grounds were far more mundane than she'd expected. Large open pits of sandy ground with target dummies, several areas clearly dedicated for spars and racks and racks of weapons. It wasn't so different to where the Collegium Guard trained in the mornings. Behind it stood a single storey building shaped like a horseshoe. That must have been the school for the Crimson Arcana and where she'd be training if she chose to learn that type of magic.

_I can only pick two. Why is that? Why limit it?_

The Crimson Arcana might not be a bad choice. She didn't really need to learn anything thanks to her wild magic, but she could pick up some tricks and whatever school she chose would be used to mask her abilities. If combat magic was flashy and her wild magic was more likely to flare up when she was in danger, it might best explain away her abilities. On the other hand, hiding with the very Arcana dedicated to hunting down Wildmages? That was a dangerous idea.

"A lot of people here," Weiss noted, nodding to the hundred or so people. Around seventy of those were from the initiates, some of their year and others above, while the rest were Arcanists, either of the Red Arcana or elsewhere. One had a green robe – probably there to heal if someone got injured. There were Collegium Guards, too. Were they there to stop the fight escalating?

"Is it really this big a deal?" Ruby asked.

"No. It's not." Weiss' eyes narrowed. "A duel makes for interesting gossip, but no one would want to waste a rest day to watch it. That means Martyn has been talking, telling people to come watch. He's that confident in himself. He wants to make a spectacle of you."

Either to send a message that he was someone to be respected or that his family should never be insulted. Ruby shrank back under the gazes. _There's way too many people. Even if I try and be subtle, someone is bound to notice me cast magic I shouldn't be able to. I'll have to do this full melee._ She touched her daggers beneath her initiate robe. They'd be a last resort. Weapons weren't barred – she'd made sure to ask with Coco – but if she drew them, he might draw his own. If he went for magic, her fists would do.

If he managed to cast a spell, she could use her wild magic to muck it up. Since he was a student and expected to make mistakes, she could get away with that. If he went for the fireball, she could take control of it and make it spread down his arm again. Given it happening before, no one would believe him if he said he didn't lose control. They'd think he was just trying to get out of being embarrassed.

_He can't beat me in magic and he can't beat me out of it._ Ruby managed a grin. _I've got this._

"You came," Martyn said, flanked by one of his friends to his left and a much older boy on the right. That boy had a red mantle and his Arcana featured a singular red gem. He looked around twenty-three with a light dusting of a beard and an annoyed expression. It wasn't aimed at her so much as the bright sun high in the sky.

"I did," she said, stepping ahead of Weiss and Coco. "So. Are we doing this?"

"We are." He raised his voice. "For insults against the Malneux family, I challenge you, Ruby of House Rose." He paused for effect, and though there were no cheers or applause, people listened. "Do you accept this duel?"

Ruby swung her arm to loosen her muscles. "I accept. How are we doing this?"

"Loss by yield or inability to continue."

So, she either surrendered and humiliated herself in front of all these people or he got a chance to beat her until she couldn't move or went under. He really was looking to send a message. Anyone else her size would have been intimidated. Tch. She was a Dredger. People threatened to beat her down day in, day out. You didn't survive without taking a few.

"Alright." Ruby pushed her sleeves up. "Let's do this."

Martyn smiled. "Excuse me? Oh, I believe you misunderstand." He laughed, still maintaining that loud tone to make sure his words carried. "We are both students and lack training. It would be awfully unfair to expect us to face off against one another, no? As Lady Schnee put it, what magic would we hope to cast?"

He turned, slapping his hand against the chest of the man to his right.

"This is Leon Artois. A retainer of House Malneux and loyal friend to the family." The man, a Crimson Arcanist, sighed and stepped forward. It was clear he was disinterred in it all. "He will act as my champion today. Send forth your own so that honour might be satisfied."

"Champion…?"

Ruby looked back nervously. Weiss was pale and her mouth had fallen open. She hadn't expected this – none of them had. Her eyes met Ruby's and she shook her head quickly.

"You _did_ bring a champion, did you not? If not, you'll need to stand in for yourself – unless, of course, you wish to formally apologise to me. I gave you the chance yesterday and you rejected it, but I shall offer it again." His smile turned vicious. "Though after rebuffing me so many times, I think I might add a few caveats. Service as a retainer to House Malneux would suffice. What better way to pay off your insult?"

"Malneux!" Weiss howled. "Are you out of your mind?"

"Goodness, no. I am simply defending my family's honour – and Lady Rose's family was cruelly taken from her in Menagerie, no? What better way to secure her place in the courts of Vale than by having a house sponsor her? Despite her insults and crass behaviour, the Malneux family will take her in so long as she bends the knee. Considering the lies she laid upon us before, I believe my offer quite generous. Make your choice, Lady Rose."

He'd caught her. Son of a bitch! There was no way she could fight a Crimson Arcanist without giving herself away. He wouldn't mess up spells and he'd _know_ if she tampered. And street fighting wouldn't match up to a professional. It wasn't supposed to beat trained guards, just give you a chance. With his skill and magic, he was out of her league.

_I can't yield, though. He'll push the service if I do._

The fact Weiss had stayed quiet since he said it was proof enough he could. And why not? She was an orphan to them, and they'd probably write it off as helping her. She looked back again, hoping for an idea. Coco was standing slowly. Was she going to offer to stand in as the champion for her? She knew spells – she was a Warden.

Her eyes met Ruby's. They were wide and white.

Coco was an upper-year initiate. She didn't have a single gem to her Arcanum.

_No choice. I have to fight and win. Need to hide my magic while I do. Fuck, Weiss was right. Cinder was right. I'm such an idiot!_ Fists tight at her side, Ruby looked up to Malneux with so much hate in her eyes.

He smirked back. "Well, is your champion ready?"

"I… I will be-"

"I'm ready." The masculine voice called out, wiping the smile from Malneux's face and drawing all eyes to the back of the arena, where the crowd was parting for a single figure dressed in tight leather armour. "I stand as her champion. Until I yield or can fight no longer."

Jaune stabbed his sword down into the dirt and rested his gloved hands atop the pommel.

"Let honour be satisfied by our battle."

* * *

**Well, people have been asking how long it will take for Ruby's stubbornness to cause her problems. Here's your moment. A lot of people definitely caught the unlikely prospect of two complete amateur students getting a duel on. Kind of like Draco and Harry, though at least they had the excuse of a spell or two under their belts. Of course, looking back through history there were relatively few nobles who fought their own duels. **

**The reasons why Weiss didn't catch on will be shown next chapter, though you might be able to figure them out anyway. It's obviously related to how they're in the Collegium and away from their family's resources, hence her, despite her wealth and power, having to share a room with Ruby. She anticipated the same for Malneux, not realising he had allies within the Collegium to hand. Anyway, next chapter will be on Sunday 27****th****.**

**Time to see how an Arcanist specialising in battle magic fares against a newblood guard with no magic to his name.**

* * *

**Next Chapter: SUNDAY 27****th**** October (and then every Sunday thereafter)**

**P a treon . com (slash) Coeur **


	14. Chapter 14

**So, this is the new slot for this story – every Sunday. I think I've mentioned it enough times, but we'll see how many confused PM and reviews I receive.**

* * *

**Chapter 14**

* * *

Ruby stared in equal parts shock and horror. "Jaune…?"

Coco dragged her back from the arena, the other Arcanists doing the same and creating space – except Malneux, who was staring at Jaune with shock. As much, if not more, than Ruby herself. They were hardly the only ones. A Collegium Guard though he may have been, he was still a normal person fighting against an Arcanist.

The Crimson Arcanist didn't look too bothered by it. He stood as bored as he had been since she was his opponent, although he looked Jaune up and down with a somewhat respectful gaze. Most in the crowd didn't, especially the other Initiates. A few were laughing.

"You wish to fight on her behalf?" Malneux asked. "You're not even an Arcanist."

"Do you reject my right, Lord Malneux?" Jaune raised a single brow. "Do you slight me?"

"No. No!" Malneux shook his head. "I would never do that to one of your standing. Please forgive me, I was surprised."

Ruby tugged on Coco's sleeve. "His standing…?"

Coco glanced down, still relieved she wouldn't have to fight – or more likely be completely tossed aside – by the Arcanist. With how she was in control of the Initiates, it was hard to remember at times that she still was one. Coco didn't have a single gem to her name. She was in every way that counted still a student; only, she was a student tasked to look after and mentor others. Her brown eyes were locked on the impending fight but she leaned down to whisper in Ruby's ear. "He's a noble. Quite a big one from what I remember. More important than my house, anyway. He never told you?"

Jaune…? No way. He acted so normal.

"I assumed he would have, especially since the two of you are… involved." He might have, if that were true, but since they were just friends. She supposed she'd never asked, but Ruby thought she'd have noticed. "Not every noble has the spark within them necessary to become an Arcanist," Coco went on. "Those that don't either go into politics, the military or the guard. Of course, a noble wouldn't serve in the rank and file and graduating as a Collegium Guard ensures you're an elite."

A noble couldn't dirty their boots in the slums, of course. Even the Collegium Guard was a playground for noble families then. _Is everyone here nobility? Am I the only one who isn't?_ It suddenly made a lot more sense why Malneux wouldn't want to offend Jaune. Arcanist or not, he was still someone important.

_And fighting on my behalf. That's not a good thing, is it…?_

"How much chance does he have?" she asked.

"Against an Arcanist? There's always a chance." Coco bit her lip. "But against a Crimson Arcanist…"

The Arcana focused entirely on war and battle. She couldn't have picked an opponent worse for Jaune, other than maybe the Grand Arcanist himself. He was going to get destroyed in there. She was a Wildmage on the other hand. It'd be risky, especially holding her own against someone she should have no hope of beating, but if it meant not throwing him to the wolves it was worth it. "Maybe I should fight instead. I can at least create fire…"

"It's too late now."

It really was. Martyn Malneux had stepped back and out the ring, leaving the two combatants in the centre. The Arcanist bowed from the waist to Jaune, who returned it and drew his sword from the dirt. The two opponents sized one another up, not like the slums at all. By now, insults would be thrown and battle soon joined. Here, they held to some nebulous code of honour.

"Leon Artois," the Arcanist said. "I will be your opponent today."

"Jaune Arc. Unto yield or unconsciousness?"

"Yes." The Arcanist drew the sword at his side but held it much more nonchalantly than Jaune did his own. "I have no issue with you or yours; let us fight with clear minds this day."

"The same unto you, Lord Artois. A good fight to you."

Were speeches normal before fights? Ruby's gut twisted into a knot, not sure if she wanted to run in there and stop this or scream at the top of her lungs. This wasn't Jaune's fight. It shouldn't even be hers. Malneux has twisted the rules – though why she expected anything different, she wasn't sure. He was a noble. Of course they wouldn't do their own dirty work.

In the end, she stayed where she was, nibbling on her nails and for once not having them slapped away by Weiss. If it was just to unconscious, Jaune would be fine. There wasn't any risk here. _Other than that he loses and I have to become a retainer of the Malneux family. Yeah sure, no problem at all. _If that happened, she was out. Running back to the slums, taking Yang and leaving Vale would be better than servitude and inevitable discovery under a noble family.

The sentence for impersonating a noble was probably death. Most sentences were when it was someone from the lower tiers of life interacting with the upper. Get caught stealing in the Merchant's Quarter and they'd break an arm or take a hand – either of which meant certain death once you were tossed back down the wall, or into the river. The younger urchins would line the banks to pick coin and items off corpses floating by.

Hers wouldn't be among them. If they tried…

If they tried, then she would show them what a Wildmage was really capable of.

"The honour duel between Martyn Malneux of the Malneux house and Ruby Rose of the Rose House shall commence." It was a familiar Arcanist who spoke, Arthur Watts – the same who had unwittingly helped her into the Collegium. He didn't look amused to be out here and fixed everyone, her included, with a glare. His hands rose into the air, he murmured under his breath and a shimmering wall of light spread up around the area, cutting them off. "Champions Leon Artois, retainer to House Malneux, and Jaune Arc, scion of House Arc, will fight until yield or until one is rendered unable to fight. Do both champions agree to these terms?"

"Aye," Leon said.

"Aye," Jaune echoed. "Let it be so."

"Interference from outside participants will result in forfeit. The Collegium does _not_ grant you permission to use deadly force. Attempts made will be met with intervention by myself – and immediate punishment for the one responsible." The Arcanist focused on Artois as he said that, who nodded respectfully back. He was the only one who could use magic after all. "An esteemed member of the Emerald Arcana is on standby in the event of injury. Champions, bow to your opponents."

Despite already having done so, both Leon and Jaune bowed. They were deep, she noticed. Nothing like what Malneux offered to other people. Was Jaune respected for stepping into a losing fight, or was it just because of his title? _If I get a noble dragged into a duel on my behalf, how much do I owe them? _Even if Jaune said it was okay, would his family agree?

"This is going to be a massacre," Weiss hissed.

Hopefully, Ruby asked, "On Jaune's side…?"

The noble's grimace said it all.

"BEGIN!"

Leon leapt back, pushing one foot behind him and levelling his free hand in Jaune's direction. _"Fires of creation burn a path!" _

Light flickered to life in the palm of his hand, but unlike the fire they'd summoned before, it tore away immediately, snaking along the ground and burning three feet tall. It rushed toward Jaune, forcing him to roll to the left and stop with one hand flat on the dirt. The flames curled toward him again, tracing in on his location. Jaune ran to the left, holding his sword with one hand and circling around his opponent.

"_Through force, be pushed!"_

Jaune leapt to the left again, dodging a shimmering distortion in the air. The wall of fire behind him ballooned out and was expunged, embers tossed against the shield along with dirt and sand. It would have thrown him away had it connected, but Jaune charged in, sliding his second hand to the hilt of his weapon and sweeping it low across the ground.

The clash of steel as the Arcanist's sword bit down echoed over them. Despite being primarily a magic user, he steadied his foot against the blade to hold Jaune's back and shifted his weight to the left to avoid a thrown punch. His free hand pressed into Jaune's ribcage, right up against his armour.

"_Through force, be- ah!"_ The hand was caught at the wrist and twisted to the side. _"Be pushed!"_

The blast of air launched the Arcanist away and out of Jaune's grip. Leon twisted in the air and shouted something that caused the air behind him to coalesce, slowing his fall and letting him right and land on his feet. He flapped his casting hand to loosen it up and held his sword up before him in a guard stance.

The Initiates had stopped laughing now. Jaune…

He'd almost managed it.

"Collegium Guards are no laughing matter," Coco whispered. "The odds are still against him, but you've seen them train. You don't want to let one inside your guard. If he was anything but a Crimson Arcanist, he'd have lost."

"What do you mean?"

"Crimson Arcana enforces training in a weapon. Other colours don't bother."

So if this had been any other Arcana, they wouldn't have been able to defend themselves in melee. How far had Malneux stacked this? It was bad enough with Jaune, but if she was a noble as advertised, she wouldn't have stood a chance. Bastard. It was like making a trained solider fight a child. He didn't want her beaten; he wanted her humiliated.

Ruby cupped her hands over her mouth. "You can do it, Jaune!"

"Ruby!" Weiss gasped, scandalised. "Show some class!"

Jaune heard her. He glanced over and nodded, then turned back to his foe, taking a side-on stance that minimised the amount of his body exposed. He began to step forward, closing in while strafing to the left, circling in such a way as to push the Arcanist back against the barrier. His boots stepped over and through one of the dimming trails of fire, snuffing it out.

The Arcanist was too far away to hear but he yelled something and sent three balls of white light hurtling toward Jaune – an attack she recognised, albeit different. It was the bands of light an Arcanist used to try and stop her when she was running through the Upper District. If one hit him, he'd be bound instantly.

_Come on. You can do it!_

He swayed under the first and knelt, twisting on one foot to push through and past the second. Leon was no slouch, however, and had used the first two to corral him. The third was heading straight on, mere inches from Jaune's face.

"No!"

"He's done," Weiss said grimly.

Jaune's shoulder hit the sand – the rest of him followed. His head clutched in against his neck, he rolled back up onto his feet.

The spell fizzled in the air.

"What!?" Weiss yelled.

"He dodged it?" an Initiate gasped. "I could have sworn that hit!"

"Impossible. It was already upon him!"

Leon was just as shocked and neglected to cast another spell. That gave Jaune the opening he needed to close the distance and snatch his free hand, bringing his sword around and down on the Arcanist's shoulder. It would have ended the fight right there, but Leon managed to defend, instincts and training kicking in even while he was out of it.

Even so, he was off balance. Ruby could see it and recognise the signs from her own brawls. His right knee buckled, and he braced his shoulder against the flat of his sword, cleverly keeping his weight behind it but letting Jaune score a cut on his shoulder. It was the best the Arcanist could do and anyone less than a Crimson Arcanist wouldn't have had the training to pull it off. On top of one another, they locked blades. Jaune's foot swept under to try and trip but Leon was ready for it. Sand was kicked up as they fought for space, Leon to cast and Jaune to prevent it.

Through the haze, she saw Leon break his hand free and press his palm against Jaune's stomach. Saw his eyes narrow and lips move. He was about to cast!

"Jaune," she yelled. "Move!"

Leon smirked and finished his incantation. Jaune clamped a hand on his collar.

Ruby clenched her hands into fists.

Nothing happened.

It was a second in real time but felt so much longer to her, stood ready to burst through the barrier at the first sign of trouble. Most couldn't even keep up, so unused to fighting they were, but she saw the flicker of absolute shock on Leon's face – the moment he, in complete confusion, let his guard down.

Jaune dragged him down and over his knee by the collar. Head and upper body bent forward, Leon tripped and sprawled onto the sand. He struck the ground headfirst but to his credit rolled away, training ingrained in him not to sit still and get killed.

It was a lesson taught in the slums, too. A fight wasn't over when you fell, and honour was for fools. Leon Artois staggered back onto his feet, red robes splattered with dirt and face rubbed raw. He spat out some dirt and rubbed a hand over his chin.

Jaune locked his sword before him again.

Leon stabbed his into the dirt. "I yield."

He… yielded…?

"WHAT!?" Martyn Malneux slammed his hands on the barrier, causing reflections of light to ripple out from him. "Artois – what is the meaning of this? You can still fight! I demand you fight!"

"The duel is over." Arthur Watts dropped the barrier. "Through surrender, Ruby Rose is victorious. Consider this matter of honour concluded." He fixed Martyn with a fierce scowl. "And do not waste our time again. You are all of you here to master the arcane arts, not indulge in petty squabbles."

"Heh." Jaune offered a hand to the downed Arcanist. "Good fight."

Leon looked at the hand but didn't take it. He stood and offered a wary nod. "Good fight."

"Jaune!" Ruby crashed into him, arms wrapping around his stomach and face smashing into his leather armour. He smelled of sweat and leather and sand, like he'd been rolling in it. "What are you doing here? How did you even find out? What were you thinking!?"

He placed one hand around her back, letting the other hold his sword tip down and to the side.

"In order? I'm here to fight. Sun told me. And I figured you could use the help."

"Help was certainly something she needed," Weiss said, stepping up and for once offering him a respectful nod of the head. "I must admit I didn't recognise you at first, Lord Arc. Forgive me."

"Ah? Well, nothing to forgive." Jaune laughed. "I didn't exactly advertise anything. Besides, it's not that big a deal." He cracked a smile. "Sun heard about this from the Newbloods. The newest of them, anyway. They were taking bets and talking about coming down, and when he heard who was involved, he let me know." He pushed her away. "Why didn't you tell me?"

Ruby blinked stupidly at him. "I didn't think it was a big deal."

Jaune frowned.

"It's true," Coco said. "We thought it would be a little fight between two Initiates. No one expected Malneux to bring in an actual Arcanist." She sighed and shook her head. "He's going to take some heat for this. It's not against any rules but he brought in a Crimson Arcanist to deal with a schoolyard argument. And he lost. That's going to hit him right where it hurts – his pride."

"Good," Ruby growled. "He tried to get me killed!"

"Leon wouldn't have killed you," Jaune said. "I doubt he'd have used any of those spells against you. The Crimson Arcana spar with the guards, though. He'd know to take me a little more seriously."

"Not enough to win," Weiss noted. "I can't believe you dodged that spell at such close range."

"Ha." Jaune's fingers dug into her robes. "Yeah. Guess I was lucky."

With the fight over and the adrenaline dying out, most of the onlookers were getting bored and wandering off. Martyn was gone, either to berate Leon or save face – or maybe just to avoid her before she could demand something for his loss. She'd have to ask Weiss later about that. The Arcanists left too, including the Emerald Arcanist.

"She didn't even stop to heal you," Ruby hissed, poking his cheek.

"Hey." Jaune winced and caught her index finger in his hand. There was a small cut on his cheek. "Don't poke it. And it's fine; she probably didn't even realise I was hurt."

"Pssttt." Coco elbowed her side and wriggled her eyebrows. "That's your cue."

Ruby stared at her.

Coco tapped her cheek and nodded to Jaune.

Ruby rubbed hers and looked at her fingers, wondering if she had food there.

"I'm sure Ruby will be willing to help you with it," Coco said, apparently giving up on subtly and laying it out flat. "After all, you just stood up for her honour. Makes sense you'd want to have a little _alone time_ if you know what I mean."

Weiss grimaced and stepped away. "I believe I'll retire early and do a little studying. I'll speak to you later, Ruby."

"But I-"

"Have fun," Coco teased, walking after Weiss. "But not too much fun!"

Ruby sighed.

/-/

The inside of the Newbloods barracks wasn't exactly what she'd expected. In her head, she imagined them to be like the watchtowers in and outside the slums, with floors dedicated to cramming as many people in at once, usually with bunk beds and locked chests for belongings.

Jaune actually had a room with Sun not unlike her and Weiss', except it was bigger. Way bigger. For one, Jaune and Sun got separate bedrooms to call their own, along with a small communal area, a bathroom and a corner with a bookshelf and chair. Sun was in that, legs up above his head as he dangled upside down with a book in hand, occasionally shooting them coy smiles as Ruby dabbed at Jaune's face with a white towel and washed away the blood.

"I don't think it'll scar…"

"Damn shame," Sun said. "Girls love scars. Not that you need help in that department. Not even two months into the new year and you've already fought a duel in your beloved's honour. I'd be jealous if I wasn't so proud."

"You'll be unable to feel either if you don't stop being an ass."

Sun cackled.

He knew they weren't a thing, of course – hard to hide the fact she and Jaune were apparently up to no good when he slept in the next room. That didn't stop him finding the whole thing hilarious. She had a suspicion he wouldn't have been so relaxed about it if she'd been Weiss or some other girl, but Sun seemed to like her. _Probably because I don't act like I've got a stick shoved up my ass._

Sadly, what he'd said was probably what everyone else thought. There weren't that many ways to spin Jaune stepping in to defend her honour as a casual thing. Not when he was apparently quite the bigshot noble.

"Eh. At least you won. Not sure you'd have looked quite so hot otherwise."

"It was a close fight," Jaune said. "I nearly didn't."

"Hmm." Sun didn't sound convinced. "Whatever. Glad I told you about it, though?"

"Yes. Thank you, Sun."

"Thanks," Ruby echoed, aware he'd saved her butt as well. "I owe you both."

"Heh. No problem. You need to be more careful in future though – don't trust nobles to be so honest. If they can find a way to cheat, they will."

"You say that in front of two of them," Jaune pointed out.

"Eh. You're different. Both of you."

"You're not a noble?" Ruby asked.

Sun yawned and put his book down, sweeping his legs around so he was sat up. "Do I look like one? Or act it?"

No. He was nothing like Weiss or even Coco, and yet she'd just sort of assume that was normal for the guard. Jaune didn't act like it either. Her gaze on him didn't go unnoticed and Jaune laughed awkwardly, moving to scratch his cheek before she slapped his hand away. She didn't spend the last few minutes dabbing it for him to scratch it open again.

"I don't really like to make a meal of my title. I want to get by on my own achievements."

"What he means," Sun explained, "Is that he's a pretty big deal within the Kingdom. Eighth in line to the throne."

Ruby balked. "Royalty!?"

"No. Definitely not." Jaune shot Sun a glare. "Almost everyone in the nobility is `in line` somewhere. The succession is complicated and it's an incestuous group and if you look back far enough, almost everyone is related in one way or another. Distant cousins. Being in line doesn't mean you have a chance of ever bring king. I'm about as likely to become King of Vale as you or Sun are. Even if the seven above me died, Vale would be placed under a regent long before it did me. It's just a thing nobles like to mention."

"You wouldn't think it to listen to him." Sun said. "Jaune's about as humble as they come."

"I prefer to think I'm just reasonable. My dad didn't exactly let me get away with much as a kid and I don't have any spark to speak of. When most nobles are busy trying to become Arcanists, I don't stand out much."

"I'm not a noble at all," Sun said. "If you do good enough in training to be a city guard, you can get scouted for the Collegium. It's rare – maybe two out of every person in a year gets the chance. I was lucky. Plenty of folk here aren't a fan of that."

She could imagine. It was bad enough when they just thought she was an eccentric noble. The Collegium really did seem corrupt – or at least it let a lot of favouritism through. If the nobility made up both the Arcanists _and_ the Collegium Guard, then so much for that influence triangle Miss Lavender showed them. It wasn't much of a balance on the city if the nobility had this much of a hand in things.

As far as she knew, there wasn't a single non-noble or wealthy Initiate in the Collegium.

No one in the slums was tested for the `spark` Coco mentioned before.

_And since magic can't be used without extensive training – unless you're a Wildmage – that means the only people who ever have the power are those already on top. No wonder we've never had any healers in the lower districts._

"That's a worrying look on your face," Jaune said teasingly. "Is it infected? Am I going to die?"

"Oh. No. I was…" Nothing she could say. "How did you beat the Arcanist?"

"He gave up. You saw yourself."

"Not that. I mean… are you guys taught to fight Arcanists?"

Jaune looked away nervously. "Not exactly…"

"It's more like they're taught to fight us," Sun interrupted. "Crimson Arcana spars against us and every Arcanist at some point has to learn to defend themselves. Since most people would be coming at them with weapons, they spar against Newbloods at first. We're not exactly taught to beat you guys, but we pick things up."

"Yeah." Jaune nodded. "That."

They were lying.

If she'd been Weiss or Coco, she might have believed it, but Jaune's lack of commoner savvy made him pretty weak on his hustle. Sun was much better, but the fact he came rushing in to Jaune's rescue spoke volumes.

He'd rescued her, though. That earned him his secrets.

"Hm. That makes sense. How do you beat an Arcanist, then?"

"Attack 'em hard and fast." Sun made a slashing motion with one hand. "It depends on the Arcanist obviously, but most of you lot rely too much on spells."

"Crimson Arcana are different," Jaune said. "Leon could fight alright with a sword, but it was still obvious his training was split between that and spellcraft. And then there were his incantations. Those let me know in advance what he was doing."

"I noticed that!" Both from Leon and the one who attacked her before. "Do they always have to speak to cast? We didn't have to in lessons."

"Depends on the spell. You probably weren't casting spells in lessons, right? Just doing exercises."

That was true, but she'd not needed to say anything to make herself invisible to the guards either. "I guess. Did you know all the spells he cast?"

"No. It was more I knew _when_ he was going to cast and where. Having to shout things out is a pretty big weakness and gave me warning on when to move. Not all Arcanists have to do it. I think once you start to master spells, you say them quieter – or not at all." Jaune shrugged. "I'm not the best person to ask on that. Coco would know more. Maybe Weiss, but… well, she's still an Initiate."

_We've not learned any real spells yet and we've been here a month._ Oh, they'd summoned some fire to their hands and played with control, but now that she thought of it there wasn't a single spell to their names.

Was that normal? Probably.

But did it make sense? Why were they being made to go so slow? She had a feeling that if she asked, they'd tell her it was to learn control, or because magic was dangerous, and the thing was, she had no way of knowing if that was true or not.

The guards were stronger than them. They were being kept excited about magic but not taught it. They were limited to two Arcana. They weren't allowed outside the Collegium until they mastered one. Was this what Cinder meant? The Sanctum may have been the prison, but the more she learned, the more it felt like the Collegium itself was the real prison – the Sanctum just solitary confinement.

No. It couldn't be. If that were the case, they wouldn't have taken all the nobles, and the noble families wouldn't be sending all their heirs and heiresses here. If it was a prison, they'd rather have Dredgers locked away.

"You should be careful about Malneux," Jaune said.

"Hm. What?"

"Just because you won out here doesn't mean he'll stop. From what I hear, you insulted his family pretty badly. It might be best to cut your losses now you embarrassed him and make peace. If he'll accept it. Might be too late for that…"

"Are they a big deal?"

"Not as big as some, but that only makes them more sensitive about it." Jaune cocked a smile for her. "You can always mention me if he acts out."

"I don't want to keep using you like that. You already helped me here."

"It's fine. We're friends, aren't we?"

It felt like he was really asking, like he really thought she might say no. Sun was watching too. Carefully. Ruby didn't know why, or why they thought she'd ever deny it. "We are. Even before you helped me."

"You're lovers too," Sun teased, "So Jaune's expected to step in and help you every now and then. If he didn't, he'd probably be hounded by the other Newbloods saying he's letting us down. We've got a certain image to hold. Hard to pick up pretty Initiates if we're not seen as dashing knights in silver armour."

"I don't see you picking up anyone," Jaune said.

"Kinda ironic for you to say that when the closest the two of you have gotten to hot and sweaty is Ruby watching you train."

Jaune threw a scowl Sun's way but the faunus was unaffected. They really were close – it reminded her of her and Yang, or maybe Yang and the Malachites. That constant back and forth that might have been insulting to anyone but them. There was history there. Sun's loyalty spoke of a little more than just friendship. Maybe Jaune had stepped in to protect him as well; something to do with the commoner aspect he mentioned earlier.

"It won't cause problems for you, will it?" she asked. "With your family."

"You mean us being together? Or not being…?"

"Yeah."

"It doesn't really matter. We're kind of expected to make connections in the Collegium – even those kind. A lot of us have arrangements waiting us outside, so this is our last chance of freedom."

"Arrangements?"

"Positions. Posts. Roles. Marriage." Jaune shrugged. "It's something of a quietly agreed secret that we can do what we like in the Collegium and no one makes mention of it after. Or that's the theory. The truth is, the Collegium is a cooking pot full of the best and most influential of Vale, and some of the relationships and friendships made here can shape the city for the next generation." He reached out and tapped her nose. "That's why it's in your best interest to avoid any more feuds. You never know who you might call ally in the future. Or husband."

"The day I marry Malneux is the day I throw myself off the city wall."

"Well, you don't have any family to arrange it so any requests would be made directly to you, your caretaker or the King."

"The King…?"

"He could enforce a marriage for you, ostensibly in your best interests." He saw her pale and quickly added, "I doubt he would. That sort of thing doesn't happen often and you're not exactly important enough for him to take notice of you. Don't worry. The point I was making was that Malneux can't actually do much to you other than posture and threaten. You're the head of House Rose now. You make the decisions."

"R-Right. Good."

"That also means your actions affect your house, both good and bad. Turning Malneux's plan back on him has made an enemy out of him but might make you some allies too. If there's anyone who also hates him. Or those who benefit from his downfall."

"I'm not really into the political angle…"

"You might not be, but everyone else will be. You can't just ignore it."

"Why not? You do."

"Do I?" Jaune smiled crookedly. "I'll be writing a letter to my father tonight to explain why the Malneux family will be contacting him tomorrow to protest at my stepping in to impinge on their honour."

"You mean… You're going to be in trouble because you helped me?"

"Not in trouble, more there'll be consequences. Don't worry about it, you didn't make me do anything I wouldn't have already."

Even so, she'd not thought her getting in a duel might drag him into trouble, or Weiss. It hadn't helped Cinder either. For all she'd stood up for her fellow Wildmage, most people probably didn't believe the Malneux family actually had one. If anything, the only thing they'd be gossiping about now was the fact he tried to pull one over on her and lost. No one cared about Cinder or the injustice done there.

"All I did was make things worse…"

"That's not true." Jaune nudged her shoulder and laughed. "If nothing else, you've cheered up every Newblood in the Collegium. It's not everyday we get to hold something like this over the Arcanist's heads."

"Oh great…"

"No, I'm not joking. Every action has consequences. If you're ever in trouble, I dare say you could come to one of us and we'd help – not just Sun and I, but any Newblood who recognised you. At the very least they'd escort you to me. An Arcanist challenged a Newblood today and the Newblood won. As far as everyone in the barracks is concerned, that puts you on our side."

"Nothing like a bit of friendly rivalry between the schools," Sun agreed. "It's kind of a right of passage for us to try and get one over on you lot. Not you, obviously. You're one of us now. Honorarily."

"Because I set up a fight or because I'm apparently in bed with Jaune?"

Sun grinned. "Yes."

And all of a sudden, the Collegium seemed less terrifying again. If it was just rivalry, it wasn't so bad. The nobles probably just wanted more things to hold over each other's heads. _I'll have to learn some spells if Martyn is going to try again. And some incantations. If I can say the right thing for the wild magic I cast, it'll be less suspicious._

And there was always one other option.

"Hey. Are there any rules against Initiates training with you guys in the morning?"

* * *

**So, how many of you actually expected Jaune to win?**

**I mean, it's early in the story and the plot might not make sense if he lost and Ruby was forced into servitude, but this is a Coeur story. Jaune can't win. At least not before the end. It's just not feasible! ****Ha. Well, with Jaune not being the main character here, he can have a few wins.**

* * *

**Next Chapter: 3****rd**** November**

**P a treon . com (slash) Coeur **


	15. Chapter 15

**Still feels strange to be writing this on a Sunday, like I'm expecting myself to write Unseen Hunt instead. Anyway, I finished this in time to go watch my daily dose of Lol Worlds. It's G2 vs SKT, with SKT being the most dominant team ever. Ah, I'm nervous.**

* * *

**Chapter 15**

* * *

"And halt!"

The call came from a huge man of some six and a half feet with a flowing red cape and a fearsome scowl. The Newbloods came to a ragged and panting stop, completing the lap they were on and hunching together, some with hands on their knees and others slowly pacing and trying to control their breathing.

Lieutenant-Commander Alabaster Winchester was, Ruby had quickly discovered, possibly the most hated man in the Collegium. He wasn't unfair, nor was he cruel or prejudiced or someone who took advantage of his position. If anything, he was uncompromising, and that alone was enough to have those under his training regimen cursing his very existence. That included his son, Cardin, who far from favouritism was often singled out by his father.

"Look at you all!" he boomed. "A sorry bunch of puffing children. Don't think this will get you out of combat drills. If you can't stand, I'll strap you to a scarecrow and tie a sword to your hand. Winchester, stand up!"

"Yes sir!" Cardin hadn't even been sitting, but he stood straight.

"All of you keep moving or you'll let your muscles cramp. How many times have I told you this? Well? MOVE!" He charged into their mass waving his hands and every single one of them knew it was a bad idea to be caught by him. They started to jog and pace, getting out the huge man's way.

Ruby was a little slower, on account of her heart exploding out her chest. He caught her by the sleeve and hauled her forward.

"What the fuck is this?" he roared. "What are you doing among my Newbloods?"

Ruby winced. "Training?" At his thunderous expression she added, "Sir? M-My friend said it would be okay."

"Okay?" he boomed. "Okay!? There's an Initiate running with _my_ Newbloods. That is not okay!" He spun, Ruby still in hand, swinging her out like a mace. She only just stayed standing. "You twig-legged lazy pieces of horse shit! An Initiate runs with you and she _doesn't_ get left in the dust? You've all been slacking on me!" He pushed Ruby forward. "From now on, every one of you who doesn't finish in front of her will be giving me push-ups until your arms fall off. Am I understood?"

"Yes sir!" everyone whimpered.

"I can't hear you!"

"YES SIR!"

"Better." The huge man slapped a hand on Ruby's shoulder. "Get gone, girl. I'm not giving you a sword until you've got a red gem in that broach of yours. Running starts at six. Don't be late."

Ruby staggered out the training field with the strangest feeling he might have actually liked her; something amazing since she wasn't convinced he had the capacity for it. Initiates and some older Arcanists watched her re-join them, the morning spectator sport of ogling young men and women getting sweaty as popular as ever. A few sent her jealous looks for having been involved. Crazy. They could have gone up there if they wanted. And what was there to be jealous of? She was about to collapse.

Weiss was sat to the back under a tree with Coco beside her. Why did Coco spend so much time around them? Never mind, she had a canteen of water. Ruby tried to catch it and fumbled. It slapped against her chest and she managed to clutch it there, ripping off the top and guzzling desperately. The water was sweet and tasted faintly of peaches.

Nobles. What was wrong with good old boiled water?

"I can't believe you went ahead with this," Weiss said. "Look at you, you're drenched in sweat and about to fall over. This is not the way a noble lady conducts herself."

"I can't believe you made it," Coco said, laughing. "I thought you were joking when you said you were going to get involved. A few guys and girls have before to try and impress the ones they like, but they always give up halfway through the morning runs. You must be the first outside the Crimson Arcana to pull it off, and they only ever train on their private grounds."

"I didn't make it," Ruby grunted, falling flat on her behind. "I came almost last."

"What, were you expecting to outrun the Collegium Guards?"

Yes, as a matter of fact. Her survival in the slums relied on that, though she often added a verticality to it by scaling buildings and jumping from rooftop to rooftop. Still, the guards in the lower quarter were slow and unfit for the most part, relying on quality of equipment, thick armour and the tenuous understanding that no one messed with a guard if they didn't want the streets combed through, to protect them.

Without boasting, she was one of the quickest in the slums.

Apparently, that didn't translate here. Maybe it was the nature of the training, more stamina than speed, and lasting so long that her reserves flagged. It was flat ground too, with nothing to build any distance between using her natural agility. That didn't take away the disappointment, though. She'd genuinely expected to be, if not the best, at least in the top half. She'd even planned to hold back so as not to stand out. Little risk of that now.

"You did well enough," Coco said. "I guess travelling on foot from Menagerie left you fitter than most. You thinking of joining the Crimson Arcana? They'd love someone with that kind of physical edge."

"I don't know. I actually thought of being a healer at first…"

"Emerald Arcana?"

Ruby hummed her agreement. It wasn't like she'd put vast amounts of thought into it, but the one thing the slums could use was a healer willing to work for cheap. It'd also let her look after Yang more. Then again, any path would let her do that, Arcanists being as wealthy as they were.

"What are the other Arcana?" she asked.

"I could tell you but I'm not supposed to."

Ruby fixed a suspicious glare on Coco. "Why? Why is it kept secret?"

"Secret?" She laughed. "It's not. Just that you guys have an orientation soon where the Arcana are laid out for you. It's not yet time to pick of course, but the longer they give you to think about what you want to do, the better a decision you'll make. It's tradition no one tells you anything until that, mostly so you don't get biased one way or another."

Oh. That wasn't as bad as she first thought. "How soon is it?"

"In your second month. Only a week or so away for you. Someone from each Arcana comes and does a little presentation and you get to ask questions. It's pretty informal, or ours was. They even do a few spells for demonstration."

"It sounds interesting," Weiss said. "I've not yet put thought into what Arcana I would select. Emerald or Crimson both sound interesting, however."

"You know, you shouldn't just pick what Ruby does. Having different Arcana doesn't mean you don't get to be friends anymore."

"I've no idea what you are suggesting, Warden Adel. Please do not spread such spurious rumours."

"Hmm." Coco winked at Ruby. "Whatever you say."

Weiss didn't look pleased with the way the conversation was going so Ruby stepped in to save her. "What about you? Have you selected your Arcana yet?"

"I sure have!" Coco sat up proudly. "I'm studying for the Amber Arcana."

"I don't see a gem…"

"Hey." She slouched. "You don't get your stone until you actually graduate that school. I'm still top of the class. Why am I arguing with Initiates? You can't even cast spells properly yet. You don't get to call me out on not having my stone."

Weiss hid a laugh in her hand.

Ruby didn't even try and pretend she wasn't giggling. "And what does the Amber Arcana do?"

"Didn't I just tell you I'm not supposed to say?"

"You want to boast though. And we could just check the library tonight and find out."

"I don't boast…" Coco glowered at them. "Much. Sheesh, you two have to be the most demanding and troublesome initiates I've ever had to deal with. And most of it is you." She poked Ruby's nose. "Fine. The Amber Arcana focus on research and spell development. It's the best Arcana and the most exciting."

"I'm beginning to see what they mean about bias," Weiss drawled.

"What can I say? There's always competition between the Arcana. More rivalry than anything, but the whole thing about you only being able to pick two means there's incentive for each to attract as many Initiates as they can. Plus, when you spend so many years mastering a craft, you tend to defend it as the best craft ever."

It wouldn't be a problem if they let people learn more than two, Ruby thought. Then again, maybe that was the point. If you were proud of your Arcana, you'd be loyal to it and the people you met there. Was this part of the Collegium's efforts to ensure no one wanted to leave? Maybe, but it could just as easily be human nature. She'd heard apprentices in the taverns competing over who's master was the most well-known, or the best way to shoe a horse.

_It's hard to know what's intended and what's just coincidence. And I can't keep assuming everything is the former._

"So you make spells?"

"That's right. We're a theoretical Arcana and we focus on understanding _why_ and _how_ magic works. Most of the others just learn the spells relevant to them, how to cast them and how to better do whatever task they're focused on, like healing or combat, but we delve deeper." Coco's started to wave her hands around animatedly. "We pick apart the threads and figure out why a certain spell does what it does, and from there we can advance the understanding – learn how to make those spells better, bigger, more efficient or tweak the effects. Most of the spell books the Collegium uses are written by members of the Amber Arcana. And the best of them even have spells named after them!"

"Already planning yours? The Coco Beam?"

"I've been thinking Adelblast, actually."

"My Gods," Weiss cupped her face with one hand. "I was only joking; you've actually planned out the names already."

"Hey. Why not? You've got to dream big. I want to make a whole suite of Adel spells that Arcanists a thousand years from now will be using. How amazing does that sound?" She sighed. "Course, I'm not doing much of that now. Just theory, research and dissecting existing spells to note what controls the heat, size, direction, intensity, thrust, shell and intent of a fireball."

There were that many variables? For Arcanists, maybe. They had to plan and control everything, while her magic would just do what she wanted. The Amber Arcana sounded interesting but book heavy. It'd be a useful way to hide her spells – oh look, she made another spell! – but if it was as much research as Coco made it sound, her lack of academics would soon be noticed.

Understanding exactly how magic worked, though? That sounded exciting.

_If only mu magic was the same as theirs._

"It sounds intriguing," Weiss said. "What about the Blue Arcana? What does that do?"

"Nope." Coco stood and dusted her robes down. "You only get the one freebie today, kids. Or the teachers will have my head for ruining the surprise. Go do a little reading on your own if you want to know more, but you might as well not. Just wait patiently for orientation and you'll get to see them all yourselves."

"I suppose." Weiss sighed and let it go. "Do you want to get to lessons, Ruby? It'll prevent Martyn having a chance to set up a nasty surprise for you."

With a sigh and an ache of her tired legs, she stood.

"Yeah. Okay."

/-/

"Focus," Oobleck said. "Control the flame. Keep it steady now."

Various classmates grimaced and concentrated on the flames in their hands, larger and more violent than they had been on their first lessons casting the spell, and thus more prone to accidents. Sweat dripped down faces both from the heat and the focus required. For most of them, anyway. Ruby glowered at her own, lost in thought as it burned merrily and obediently away. Luckily, she wasn't the only one showing such quick progress or she'd have had to fake failure.

Martyn hasn't actually planned anything for her, or at least not anything she cared about. There were rumours going around about her family and their holdings in Menagerie, which given she had no family there were obviously false. Considering how rude they were, it could only have been his work and if Weiss' reaction on hearing it was anything to go by, it was a grave offence. Grave for them, maybe. Ruby was happy to ignore it all.

_My mistake was rising to his bait. I won't fall for that again._

The lessons had continued to focus on controlling fire for the last few days, though never quite in the same way. Bigger, smaller, make it dance, light a candle, there was always some small trick to it that had everyone but her groaning. If she had to guess, the lesson was that magic wasn't simple or a toy, and that even when you had all this power, the smallest change to how you cast a spell meant more hard work.

It was a lesson that didn't apply to her, and so while everyone else struggled and learned and adapted, she got to sit at the back being bored and watching everyone labour over something she knew she could do in her sleep.

How many months of this would there be? The teachers were always going on about responsibility and challenge and how they needed to understand the core principles before they could learn more interesting spells, and that was all well and good. It made sense. Just not to her. If it took everyone a year to learn this, was she going to be stuck pretending to learn? She groaned, letting her head fall down onto her elbow.

"Focus, Miss Rose. Do not lose control of that flame!"

Little chance of that unless she lost control of her emotions. Still, she sat up and tried to look like she was tired from all the hard work. "Yes Arcanist Oobleck."

"Good. Good. Remember, a moment of inattentiveness can spell disaster. It is not your early years that are the most dangerous, but that moment ten years from now where you are convinced you know everything there is to know and let your guard down. Suddenly, bam!" He slammed a hand on his desk and several fireballs winked out as their wielders jumped. "You burn down an orphanage, killing hundreds of people!"

"D-Does that happen?" someone asked.

"If it did, you'd be in serious trouble. The Sanctum kind of trouble. But no, it's a minor exaggeration." Oobleck waved a hand. "More likely you'll grievously injure or kill yourself."

The frankness of that stunned the audience.

"I trust you'll put some effort into concentrating."

It worked. Several students who had been paying only half attention looked much more cautious. Memories of Malneux burning his sleeve came to their minds, except with hotter and bigger flames taking over their whole bodies.

They didn't realise it'd had been her to set fire to him.

The lesson continued for a good hour before Oobleck called for them to halt, making sure each of them had correctly snuffed out their flames before he let his guard down. "Very good. You're all progressing at an excellent pace; don't doubt that. Soon, we'll be able to move onto different spells and then we can add a little more variety to your lesson plans. Now, are there any questions?"

Ruby stuck her hand up.

"Miss Rose. Please, go ahead."

"Why are Arcanists limited to two Arcana?"

The others in the class blinked and looked between her and Oobleck. The teacher appeared equally surprised, though he recovered with a soft chuckle. "Miss Rose, I'd meant to imply the questions be related to the subject matter at hand. I suppose I should have made that clear. To answer your question, though, it is because of the focus required to master a given Arcana. That ties in well enough with what I was just saying here."

"Imagine that each Arcana is ten different spells," he said. "That's a gross simplification, believe me, but for the sake of this example it shall suffice. You have ten spells, twenty if you secure two Arcana. Much like the fireballs here, you need to learn more than just how to conjure flame, but how to control it, direct it, end it and deal with the consequences. That is not so difficult when it's but ten spells to learn and master, but when that number grows to twenty, thirty or even forty, it starts to become more difficult. We are limited to two Arcana because that is all we can realistically learn in a lifetime."

"The Grand Arcanist had four…"

"His role is an exception, and considering he is the greatest of us all, it only makes sense his mastery over the Arcana be more advanced, no? I understand your frustration, Miss Rose. Really, I do. It can be so tempting to want to learn everything, to have all the magic under your control." He laughed excitedly. "Why, even now I sometimes feel the same way. But save your impatience until you've mastered your Arcana. Perhaps then, if you still have time for more, you might try and become our next Grand Arcanist."

"Tch. Like that'd ever happen," Malneux muttered.

"You have a question as well, Mr Malneux?"

"Ah. No."

"Then you should remain silent while your peer asks her own." Arcanist Oobleck fixed him with a frown before turning back to her. "I trust that is all, Miss Rose. If you have further questions, I'd ask it to be related to the matter at hand."

"No. That's all. Thank you, Arcanist Oobleck."

He chuckled again. "No problem. None at all. Now, remember all of you that you may not practice what you've learned here without supervision. If you wish to, contact your Wardens and they will see about finding a time and place for you to practice en masse. We have a surprise for you next week as well, which I hope you will all look forward to. Dismissed."

Chairs and tables scraped on the floor. Weiss turned to her and mouthed `surprise` without speaking. She then tapped her finger to her empty Arcanum and raised an eyebrow. Ruby nodded back. It definitely sounded like the orientation Coco told them about.

There were still so many things she needed to find out both for Cinder and for herself, but among them was understanding each of the Arcana. It wasn't just for the sake of figuring out which she wanted to focus on either. More than anything, she wanted to find out what Arcana that girl who threw her into this mess was, and how to find her.

Ruby touched her Arcanum again, wondering briefly if it hadn't belonged to the faunus herself. Watts had told her an Arcanum was bound to an Arcanist, and the tattoo on her arm proved it, but that had been made by the girl, which obviously meant she knew how to apply – and probably remove – them at will. It wouldn't be a stretch to say it had belonged to her first.

But why? Why give it to a random girl, brand it onto her and push her in the way of the Collegium?

Had she known Ruby was a Wildmage? It didn't seem possible. If there was some way of telling, she'd have been caught long before she showed off her powers. Cinder hadn't been found until she displayed her own either. For whatever reason, that faunus wanted her in the Collegium.

_I should find out about Menagerie too, but I can't ask anyone here. I'm supposed to know all about it since I grew up there._ The library would have plenty of answers – she doubted a whole Kingdom was some taboo secret – but her reading wasn't at the level where she could confidently go through the library on her own. Maybe Cinder would know.

Martyn tried to knock her down on the way out but Ruby was quicker and dodged aside, forcing him to walk on in defeat or admit he'd tried. His friends, or more his associates, laughed as much at his failure as they did her. The ways of nobles were strange indeed, but loyalty appeared to take second place to political gain.

"He's crossing the line in insulting your family," Weiss said.

"Don't worry about it. They're dead anyway."

"That only makes it worse! I'd tell you to confront him on it but…"

"That's what he wants. Yeah, I know. Don't worry, I'm not going to accept another duel again if he's going to cheat."

"Wise choice. Do you want to study tonight?"

"I can't." Ruby shook her head. "I'm off to the Sanctum."

"Again? Your detention there ended two weeks ago. Why do you keep going back?"

"I'm volunteering," she said, remembering Cinder's warning. "I feel sorry for them…"

"I suppose." Weiss sighed. "Well, I won't fault your charitable actions. Just don't let it get in the way of your academics. You're doing well in class, surprisingly so, but if you start to falter be sure that I shall be there to force you back onto the right track."

"Ha. Thanks."

"N-No problem." Weiss looked away suddenly. "It is only what a real friend would do."

"Yeah. You're a real friend, Weiss." Ruby walked on, trying not to pay too much attention to how proud Weiss looked. The white-haired and now red-faced noble caught up and walked alongside her, head held high. "Speaking of friends, do I have to worry about Malneux's?"

"I wouldn't think so. They may try to curry favour by joining in private with his little schemes and insulting you behind your back, but when push comes to shove, you'll find that few of them will commit to anything without their family's say-so. Especially not with House Rose allied with House Schnee."

"Is that official now?"

"It is within the Collegium. Or as good as in their eyes. I can't offer much, but what I can provide is a threat to those who might think your position weak. And don't worry, it benefits me as well. I'm not giving without receiving. The very fact I stand up for you reflects well on House Schnee."

"Ugh. This is complicated."

"It's politics, Ruby, and you need to learn it if you want to succeed here. Consider it your third Arcana if you like."

"Yeah, the boring Arcana…"

/-/

"You're restless," Cinder said, pausing in their reading session. "There's something bothering you. What is it? Has my brother been causing you more problems? I told you to ignore him – getting back at my family is a responsibility that is mine to bear, not yours."

Ruby considered lying for a moment but tossed it aside. Cinder was the only person in the Collegium who knew the truth and so the only one she could talk to.

"I miss my sister."

"Ah. Yang." Cinder had heard the full story and approved of Yang's willingness to look beyond Ruby being a Wildmage. The reasons why were obvious given her past. If nothing else, it was nice to have Cinder like Yang, even if the chances they could ever meet were slim to none. "It's been a while since you last saw her. Over a month, I believe."

"Yeah. I'm sure she's okay but… this is the first time I've ever not known. We've always been together. I've never been away from her more than a week, and not it's a month – and it's going to be years after until I can leave the Collegium freely."

"Indeed. The Collegium cares little for concepts of family or homesickness. You're taught to see this place as your home now. How fitting." Cinder sneered for a moment before catching herself. "But no, I've said before I shall not taint your view of the Collegium. It's up to you to discover its secrets with me being trapped here. Yang, then." She adjusted her robes and put the book down. "You're thinking of going back outside the walls, aren't you?"

It was the obvious deduction.

"Yeah. I know about being a WIldmage now, so I have more control. If I will myself to become invisible like I did the last time, I can walk out the gates without the guards seeing me. I could even jump off the walls and slow my fall to land safely."

"Let's not try that one, little Wildmage. Knowledge of your power is not infinite control of it. Truthfully, I'd like to stop you, but I know I can't. Be cautious, however. Wildmages have been captured and killed by Arcanists in the past and they theoretically also had the power to conceal themselves as you do. The fact they still died tells me the Collegium has ways around our power. I do not know what they are."

The Sanctum wouldn't tell her, and Cinder had pretty much grown up a prisoner. It was something she reminded her often, saying how even if she told Ruby all she could, her knowledge was finite and second-hand. Ruby couldn't rely on it.

"I'm planning to do the same as I did the first time. I'll sneak out invisible, visit the slums, talk to Yang and then come back before morning. I'll make an excuse for Weiss this time, so she doesn't panic and tell everyone I'm missing."

"Find a better way to communicate with your sister as well. It's dangerous to keep risking this over and over and not expect the Collegium to notice. Your power can be used for more than simply fooling the guards."

That was a thought. "I'll figure something out. I wanted to tell Yang about you. Is that okay?"

"About me?" Cinder appeared surprised for a moment and then chuckled into her hand, smiling behind her fingers. "I'm flattered. By all means, go ahead. It's only fair when you've spoken of her to me so often."

Nice. She had more to tell Yang of course, about Weiss and Jaune and lessons and even Malneux – Yang would be angry about that, but she'd find him getting his ass kicked by Jaune hilarious. The more she thought about it, the more excited she became. It'd been so long; Yang must have been worried sick.

"There is something else I should mention," Cinder said. "Your restlessness. Is it only for your sister?"

"What do you mean?"

"You've been fidgeting the last few nights and finding it hard to focus. Your feet keep kicking and you pace often." Cinder brought their faces close and peered into Ruby's eyes. "Is this restlessness solely about Yang? Or is there something more? Have you been feeling… different lately? Impatient? Cramped? Stuffy? Any headaches?"

"N-Not the headaches. The others, maybe. I went running with the Newbloods this morning."

"Because you wished to, or because you felt like you had energy to burn? Because you felt like if you didn't get it out your system, you might explode?"

The line of questioning connected in her head. Ruby paled.

"I'm surging…"

"I believe so." Cinder released her and sighed. "I've mentioned them to you before – it is what you felt when you first tried to ignore your magic to hide from the Arcanists. Your power is becoming wilder and wilder. Soon, you will begin to surge. To leak your power."

"But you said it was if I didn't use my magic! I've been casting every day!"

"Beginner spells and little tricks," Cinder spat. "You've told me yourself how bored you are in class. Think, Ruby. Your power is not carefully controlled and rationed flame. It is a raging inferno! It is a fire that builds and builds inside you, and you are trying to siphon it away by lighting candles. It is not enough."

Piss. Horse piss! Ruby bit her lip and looked around nervously. The last time this happened she'd been reduced to sickness. If that happened, Weiss would tell the Arcanists. The Emerald Arcana would come and look at her, either figuring out what she was or seeing nothing was wrong with her. By the time she lost control and shat out magic like she had before, she'd be in the Sanctum.

"What do I do?"

"You must bleed off the surges," Cinder said. She picked up a glass of water from her tableside. "You are a vessel filling with magic that is soon to be overfull and leak." She tipped it to the side, letting some water dribble out onto the floor. "You must empty yourself."

The glass was upended. Water sloshed out.

"Only when you are empty again will you be yourself." Cinder put the glass down. "You must find somewhere safe and secluded and unleash your power. I doubt it matters what you cast so long as you do. Get it out your system and bring yourself under control."

"Will I have to keep doing this?"

"I know not. It is likely, however. Once you choose an Arcana you will have excuse to cast greater spells, and chances to leave the Collegium at will and handle your surges without suspicion. It is only a danger now because of what you should and shouldn't know."

Right. Once she was an Arcanist, she could leave the city and go into the forest, burn it off and return with no one the wiser. That wasn't an option now, and neither was ignoring her frayed nerves and letting this get worse.

Ruby dragged her hand down her face. Now that it had been pointed out, she could feel just how impatient she was. Even the act of sitting still was making her feel grouchy. Her feet had started to kick again, rocking back and forth while her finger drummed a mindless tune on Cinder's bed. She was twitchy and irritable. And it was only going to get worse.

"I'll do it when I go see Yang. Get it all done at once and come back."

"That is the best choice. Just be careful. I have no idea how the Sanctum tracks and captures its Wildmages, but we both know that they do. If what you say is true, they _know_ a Wildmage is within the city. If I were them, I'd be waiting until the surges force the Wildmage to expose himself."

It'd be a dangerous time then. That was fine. See Yang first, tell her the danger, bleed off the surge and get back to the Collegium before sunrise. Easy. Or not easy, but this would be in the slums and she'd made her life off vanishing among them. Other Wildmages were probably Nobles like Cinder who didn't have the same experience. Running from the Arcanists would be no different from running from the guards. A little harder in some ways, magic for one, but easier in others, like the Arcanists not knowing their way around the lower districts.

"I'll go tomorrow night. The sooner the better. Don't expect me."

Cinder nodded. "I will pray that I don't see you tomorrow, Ruby. For if I do, that will mean you've come to join me for the rest of your life. Do not let that happen. Die first. It would be preferable."

"It… it's that bad…?"

"The surges, Ruby. They do not go away just because you cannot reach your magic." Cinder held up a hand, and to Ruby's horror it was twitching and shaking violently. "I have been surging for ten years now. There is a reason I am the only Wildmage here, and it is not because the Sanctum are inefficient in capturing them. The others, some older and others younger, all went mad long ago and took their own lives. I am the one who remains."

"Cinder…"

"Do not allow them to take you, Ruby. Fight until the end."

* * *

**Surges. They be a thing! I'm almost certain that some book or anime or TV show will have used them before. It's hard to truly come up with original ideas, but for once I can't think off the top of my head of a book which has had magic that surges like this. Did the Source in Wheel of Time? I don't think it was surging so much as it being tainted or something and driving men mad. A little different. **

**I'm sure there will be an obvious series I'm missing that people will point out. People have mentioned Dragon Age for the obvious "Paladin keeping Mages locked up" trope. I can see it. That was all mages though as I recall.**

* * *

**Next Chapter: 10****th**** November **

**P a treon . com (slash) Coeur **


	16. Chapter 16

**Ah. So stressful trying not to watch the finals while I'm writing this. My gut is clenched. I really want G2 to bring it home for Europe, but the competition is stiff.**

* * *

**Chapter 16**

* * *

A migraine tingled behind Ruby's eyes.

It had been there for days but she'd failed to really place it before Cinder pointed it out. Irritation over Martyn, annoyance over lessons or just concern for Yang, she'd unconsciously made excuses for it every time, ignoring the pain as it grew and grew. Now with her hands shaking and her eyes darting about madly, she wasn't sure how much longer she could have waited.

Days, probably. The magic was just bubbling under the surface, desperate to burst out.

_It'd be so easy to cast something right now,_ she thought, slipping through the trees inside the Collegium walls. _That must be how Wildmages get caught._

It was a miracle she hadn't been caught already. Whatever means the Arcanists had to find her, sensing her magic inside the Collegium wasn't one of them. All her magic cast in lessons was wild magic, including when she took control of Malneux's flames to burn him. If the teachers couldn't spot her using it, no one else could – which was fortunate since she needed to make herself invisible _before_ going through the gates.

A quick glance back to the dorms showed it shrouded in dark, lit only by two torches burning outside. It was close to midnight and Weiss was fast asleep, this time with the knowledge that Ruby was going to be out for the night. She'd promised that she _should be_ back before Weiss woke up, but that if she wasn't, Weiss was to just go to lessons and Ruby would meet her there.

The excuse she'd given was vague; Weiss hadn't noticed. She hadn't mentioned visiting Jaune because Weiss could ask him later and he'd know she was lying, but she'd alluded to it and let Weiss make her own assumptions. Failure to correct Weiss on those had been enough to have her grimacing and asking Ruby to spare her the sordid details later.

A request easily granted considering what she'd be up to.

There was no need to hide in the Collegium grounds since she was allowed out, but Ruby kept to the shadows regardless. She'd considered wearing her Initiate Robes to hide who she was, but fear of being seen from a distance and the dorms being searched changed her mind. Instead, she'd taken the time to visit the cleaners who worked with other servants deep in the school and steal a set of robes that were a little redder in colour. With any luck, someone watching from a distance would assume she was a Crimson Arcanist.

Inside, she'd bundled a few more trinkets lifted from the students, ready for Yang to pawn off. Nothing from Weiss of course, but Martyn's cronies made for convenient and accessible targets. She hadn't stolen anything from him, sadly, too afraid of every finger being pointed at her, his obvious enemy.

_It ought to be enough. Some of these will sell well enough for Yang to eat well for months. That should be enough time for me to steal and fetch more._

Keeping close to the wall, she skirted around to the south-east gate. It was far enough away from the dorms that it wasn't the closest – in fact, it was closer to the Crimson Arcana training grounds, which was no accident. Tugging her Arcana close under her borrowed robes, she pushed up as far as she dared while remaining in the treeline.

Now was the moment.

Through the gate or over. She'd considered the latter, either using wild magic to slow her fall or let her glide, but Cinder's warnings turned her against it. At least with the other option, she could make excuses if she was caught and walk away.

"Invisible. I need to be invisible." Ruby scrunched her eyes shut and tried to tap into that well of power surging up through her body. "Make me invisible please. Invisible. Unseen. Don't notice me."

Wild magic was intent based. Intent wasn't always easy to manage, nor to control. It had been a lot easier back when the guards had been searching the wagon because of the terror. That helped focus her attention, whereas she had a hundred other things going through her head at the moment, from how Yang would be to how bad the surges might get and all the way to how best to hide from any Arcanists in the city. With her magic surging, there was a very real chance of losing focus if she got distracted.

_Invisible. Invisible. Invisible._

Ruby gasped as the magic rushed out of her. It was a wonderful feeling, like going for a piss after hours of holding it in. It came out fast – too fast! Gritting her teeth, she wrestled it under control, half through force and half by internal begging.

"Don't surge. Please don't surge!"

It drifted away slowly. The indulgent feeling of letting it all out dripped off, leaving her frustrated but finally under control. Her fingers were twitching so bad she had to clench them into a fist and squeeze tight. Close. That'd been closer than she realised. No wonder Wildmages got caught outside the Collegium; they didn't even understand what was happening to them. _It's just like when I was sick with Yang. And the Arcanists only started banging on our door after I let go and used my powers. If that's going to happen again, I need to do it somewhere away from Yang._

Taking a quick breath, she stepped out from the bushes and walked quietly to the gate. Time wasn't going to wait for her and the headache was worse. It was a sign that this had to be done tonight before she was unable to move. As for the spell, she had to test if it worked. There was _something_ going on around her – she could feel the magic – but it could have been doing anything.

_Invisible. Unseen. See through. Invisible. Hidden. Don't see me._

There were four guards at the gate. They were talking amongst themselves, though that didn't mean they weren't paying attention. Two were looking outward and two back into the Collegium, to say nothing of the sentries on the walls. As she got closer, their quiet chatter became audible.

"-witch still looking in the lower quarters. Not been found yet."

"Still? It's been too long. I say they've died – done themselves in."

"You know the Collegium can't afford to take that risk. It's a threat that needs to be dealt with, and quickly. They should send out more Crimson Arcanists. Flood the city and flush it out, then corner and kill it before it's too late."

"That'd panic the locals. You know that. Can you imagine the reaction to a legion of Arcanists walking through the streets?"

"Lower Quarter, mate. Who gives a damn?"

She was so close that they had to have seen her if they could. The fact they hadn't gave her the confidence she needed to continue. Moving slowly so as not to make any noise, Ruby crept forward until she was less than ten feet away from them.

_Don't see me. I'm invisible. You can't see me._

"Least all's quiet on this end. You see the new intake?"

"Watched 'em train. One or two that stood out, nothing too special."

It was working. She was already so close she could have reached out and shaken their hands and they weren't reacting. It wasn't a case of ignoring her either. They talked to one another but kept scanning the area, eyes passing over her without pause. Stopping between them, ready to move if they asked for a name, she slipped through the gate.

"Give them time. Old Alabaster will knock them into shape."

"Or knock their teeth flying!"

The one on the left laughed and moved, reaching over to punch his friend in the arm. He almost passed _through_ her, but she managed to slip by and pin herself flat against the wall. The guards kept laughing loudly until those on the other side shouted for them to be quiet, at which point they muttered but went back to their posts, complaining about bastards with no sense of humour.

Ruby waited for a few more seconds before moving on, stepping through the open gate and between the final two guards, those on the outer edge. They were more disciplined but also looking the other way.

_Nothing to see here. No one here. I'm invisible._

The guard to the left scratched his cheek. The creak of his leather armour stretched out, followed by the footsteps of someone walking on the wall above. The guard to the right sighed and adjusted her spear slightly, scraping the butt against the cobblestones. They didn't react to her, even as she stepped out right between the two, finally setting foot outside the Collegium proper.

Wheels creaked and trundled far behind her. The guards turned and Ruby froze, panicking as they looked at her. And then they were looking beyond, completing their rotation to look back through the gate to where another one of the supply wagons was approaching at a steady clip.

Ruby took her chance and darted out, quickly crossing the road and slopping between the wooden fences of two noble households. Hunching low in the shadows, she peered out and up at the wall, waiting to see if anyone raised the alarm. A few seconds passed. More. A minute went by and the guards were already talking with the wagon crew.

No alarm. No one shouting after her.

_It worked. Yes!_

It wasn't much to cheer about – slipping by four Collegium Guard who didn't have a single Arcanist to their name – but it was proof of concept. If she just picked her gates based on whether they had Arcanists or not, she'd be fine. That meant no getting out the city with their hackles still raised but approaching the slums shouldn't be hard. They were looking to keep a Wildmage from escaping, not getting in.

Pulling her hood up tight, she jogged toward the gate to the Merchant's Quarter.

/-/

The hustle and bustle of city life was almost unfamiliar to her. The sheer number of people that moved around, even close to midnight, pressed in on all sides. It grew louder and louder as she reached the lower quarter her and Yang called home, where work was all too varied and many plied their trades in the lonely hours. Some of those were even legal. Ruby dropped the invisibility not far out from the gate, wresting her power back under control.

Her hood drew strange looks from some, but it was plain enough that few would believe her an Arcanist, especially when she threw most of it back over one shoulder to show her breeches and blouse beneath. That wasn't how an Arcanist acted, as Weiss would have said.

The gate to the lower quarter emerged ahead, the walls so much more cracked and dirtier than of the Collegium and Noble District. The guards there would have been bored and inattentive by now, if not for the presence of an ornately robed figure at each.

_Arcanists on the gates,_ Ruby thought, slowly turning and walking away. They could sense magic used even if they couldn't see her, so while she could sneak on by, they'd know something was wrong. The gates were narrow enough that she'd have to pass within ten feet of them. More than close enough.

Luckily, the lackadaisical nature of the guards provided plenty of other ways in. The walls weren't even complete around the district – at several points the Merchant's Quarter was just higher up, built tall to avoid the annual floods that ravaged the slums, and the people relied on that height as its own natural defence. Climbing up was difficult. Climbing down, not so much, but who cared if people wanted to get _into_ the slums?

Ruby hooked her legs over the ledge and began the familiar climb down. It would have been faster with magic but also more visible – and there were people around, most of whom ignored her. Messengers or thieves coming and going up the walls wasn't unusual, and no one wanted trouble of challenging one and getting a shiv in the gut. A few short minutes later, she pushed off and dropped the last few feet, landing with a roll.

"Okay. That's the easy part over…"

Getting out would be the hard bit.

But first, Yang.

With midnight already long past, she jogged through the winding streets toward Junior's place, making sure to hold her hood low over her face and keep one hand fixed on her coin purse. There weren't any Arcanists in the slums as far as she could tell, but the odd towers built on the outer wall were still there, each one containing a bell. Those were obviously some means of finding her.

Building bell towers couldn't have been cheap, either in material or labour. They either really wanted her in the Sanctum or they were thinking of more Wildmages appearing in the slums. Still, the expensive involved was over the top. Was she that much a danger to them or did they just have so much money it didn't matter? They had to be guarded too. You couldn't leave something like that unattended in the slums and expect it to stay there.

_I've changed so much and yet the slums are the same as ever. The people here would like that change too, if they were given the chance._

Meanwhile, the nobles in the Collegium had more open space than they knew what to deal with, bathrooms that magically got rid of waste and food so fine it defied logic. All that and more, along with huge homes and the best guards to protect them. Why couldn't they share that? Why did people down here have to wash up dead in the river because they couldn't find clean drinking water?

"They don't care at all, do they? We're just Dredgers."

With a shake of her head, Ruby knocked three times on the front door and waited. Footsteps echoed inside, along with the creak of a chair. A small hatch at head height entered but there was no face there. Showing one was a good way to lose your eyes.

"Who goes?"

"Melanie. It's me, Ruby."

"Ruby?" Melanie Malachite poked her face up to take a look, then leaned back down. Bolts scraped as the door was unlocked and opened. Melanie stood inside with a knife in hand, though thankfully at ease by her side. "Well, well, well, look who's back – and looking fancy, too. Life in the Merchant's Quarter has been doing you well."

Merchant's? It must have been the excuse Yang gave since she couldn't very well reveal anything else. The higher quality clothes and the way she'd filled out on the good food only sold the image further.

"Yeah. Things are easier there. Is Yang in?"

"She is." Miltia remained in the doorway, expectant.

"I brought you something."

"Hm." Her smile grew. "Glad to hear it. After me and Mil helped look after you two."

"I'd not forget my debts," Ruby said, fishing out a silver and jewel-encrusted bracelet. It belonged – or had belonged – to a rather prissy noble girl a year older than them who made a habit of fanning herself and showing off for the Newbloods. She was always so focused on the sweaty boys she didn't notice much else.

"Oooh." Melanie took it and held it up, watching the light sparkle off the gems. "Now _this_ is nice. Not the kind of thing anyone could just buy, even in the Merchant's Quarter." She slipped it on her wrist and admired it. "I see your fingers are as slippery as ever."

"You trained me well. Here, there's one for Miltia as well."

A necklace this time. It didn't really matter since neither would be wearing it. The jewels would be pried out and the metal melted down, both sold separate to make sure no one could track them back. They looked to be of similar value and that was all that mattered.

"You're a doll, Ruby. Come on in." Melanie closed and locked the door behind her. "No one knew what to think when Yang said you'd found work. Junior was upset but calmed down once Yang showed you were willing to settle debts. He liked some of those baubles you lifted."

Debts? Damn it, Junior must have found out about the stuff she'd brought Yang! Whether he'd taken those for himself or Yang chose to give him some as was his due, there was no telling. He must have been upset to lose his best messenger, though. Enough to maybe see it as a betrayal. That was dangerous.

"Yeah, it's not like I was going to forget about you all." Ruby returned the hug, though she made sure to keep the rest of her goods away from Melanie's roaming hands. "And I have some more goods for Junior too."

"I'm glad to hear it," a masculine voice said.

Ruby tensed.

Junior looked as intimidating as ever, especially in the low light of the burning candle he had in one hand. He must have been awake when she knocked. He looked as grizzled as he had the last time she'd seen him, intimidating, but not quite as much as he had been. She was an Arcanist now, albeit an amateur.

He was a man who had been good to her and Yang, for a certain definition of the word. How much of that was out of a desire to have Yang in his bed, she didn't want to know, but if it wasn't for him and the twins, they'd have probably died a long time ago. He was also the man still looking after Yang, so she had to play safe.

"Junior." Ruby pulled away from Melanie. "I was planning on talking to you."

"Yeah? That's good. You neglected to do so when you suddenly left my employment."

"I didn't really _plan_ to leave. It just sorta happened…"

"So Yang explained. Something about you being in danger and not wanting to draw it here." He paused, waiting for her to either confirm or deny that. Ruby shrugged. "I don't much like losing an asset, Ruby. You know that. I hope you're prepared to make it up to me."

Ruby jutted her chin out. "Yang already said I'd bring you money, didn't she?"

"Sure. And your baubles fetched a nice price. Nice, but not great."

Bullshit. The goods she stole were pure gold and silver, inlaid with real gemstones. If Junior didn't get anything for it, it was because he let someone con him. That was unlikely for him, which meant he was pulling a fast one on her.

_Everyone's out for themselves. First rule of the slums._

"They were worth plenty. And these are worth more." Pulling out the things she'd planned to give Yang, Ruby held them out. The assortment of jewellery and ornamental goods sparkled in the packet she'd wrapped them up in. Melanie whistled and stared hungrily at the goods. Junior grunted and tapped the table beside him.

Ruby stepped over to put them down, passing by him.

His meaty arm wrapped around her shoulders without warning. Ruby gasped and kicked back, swinging her head back into his chest and slamming an elbow back as well. "Let go! Junior, no. Ah!"

Junior ignored her, running a hand under her cloak and up against her body, even rubbing over her chest. He quickly found the small pouch she'd hidden there and worked it loose.

Ruby just managed to wriggle out as he let go, spinning and glaring back at him. "What the fuck was that for!?"

"You were holding out on me," he said, upending the pouch. A few small gold and silver rings dropped out into the palm of his hand. "For your sister, I take it? I'll hold onto these since I'm the one providing her lodge, food and work. Wouldn't want her to waste it, would we?"

"The lodge and food are for the work she already does for you!"

"And these will cover the work _you're_ no longer doing." Junior pushed the last rings into his pocket and tossed the empty pouch back to her. "Consider yourself lucky. Most wouldn't be so happy to let you get away with lying to them. I'm a forgiving guy."

Anger bubbled under the surface. Along with it, power. Her fingers started to twitch again, cracking out straight and tingling. The air around her grew warmer, so hot that the air wavered and became hazy. It would be so easy. So fucking easy.

"Yang is upstairs." Junior hadn't noticed. His ill-gotten gains secured, he no longer cared about her. "Don't cause trouble and be gone before dawn. She has work tomorrow and I don't need you distracting her."

Ruby forced the magic down. Her fists shook at her side. With but the wave of a hand, she could blow him away, take over and buy Yang a new life through sheer force. There wasn't a damn thing he or the twins could do to stop her. It was temping. So vert tempting.

Gritting her teeth, she broke eye contact.

"Yes Junior…"

"Good. Now get out my sight."

/-/

"Ruby!"

Yang swept her up into a hug and squeezed her tight. Ruby responded in kind, wrapping her arms around Yang's waist and burying her face in her bosom. She let out a long sigh, feeling the anger at Junior finally drain away.

"Fuck, sis, I was so worried about you. It's been weeks since you made contact!"

"M'sorry…"

"No. Don't be. Long as you're fine, that's all that matters." Yang pushed her away with her hands on her shoulders and looked her up and down. "And you're looking fine as well, sis." Yang picked up some of her growing hair, almost at a length to reach her shoulders. "Growing this out again? I'm glad. You look more like mom with it long."

Ruby nodded, her smile growing wider still.

"You're looking plump too!" Yang laughed and slapped her belly, earning a giggle. "All that food is going to your gut. And to other places." A poke at her growing breasts. "I always knew the slums were holding you back. In more ways than one."

"They're holding you back as well," Ruby said. "And why didn't you tell me Junior was upset!?"

Yang's smile fell. "Ah. You found out…"

Found out? So, Yang never meant to tell her. That was just like her – taking all the problems on her own shoulders and leaving her to deal with the safe stuff. There was a reason she got to work as a messenger and smuggler while Yang had to learn to beat down men twice her weight.

"Junior frisked me downstairs. I only managed to keep one thing on me." She presented a small ring she'd kept lodged in her palm. It'd be enough to buy Yang good food for a week and a half at least, but not much longer. "He stole all the rest!"

"It's fine." Yang took and pocketed it. "I'm happier to see you than money."

"You'd be happier with me _and_ money…" Ruby grumbled. "You should have both! Did he steal the rest?" she demanded, anger – and magic - surging. "I'm supposed to be siphoning money so you can buy your way out the slums. Did he take it all? I can deal with him if he did. There's no point you staying here if he's just going to take it all."

"Ruby, no, calm down." Yang shook her. "Don't do anything stupid. Here." She dragged Ruby over to the centre of the room and pried up the floorboard. Beneath were several small bags. "See? He didn't take everything – just what I _let him_ see."

Lien. Quite a lot of lien – a couple of hundred at least. More than she or Yang had ever seen in their lives before. Ruby let out a breath and sagged in Yang's arms. The wild magic trickled back into her, the air becoming still once more.

"I had to let him take something," Yang explained, "Otherwise he'd get suspicious and start looking harder. And I had to tell him some story of where you'd gone."

"Is he making you do anything you don't want to?"

"No. I'm still useful as a bruiser." Yang looked her up and down again, now paying more attention. "What's wrong with you, Ruby? You're shaking. I can feel you… It's like you're vibrating. Is it the sickness again? Do you need medicine? We can spend this if you-"

"It's not," she gasped. "It's not sickness… It… I… It's part of what I am."

Yang swallowed. "A Wildmage?"

"Yeah."

Ruby recounted Cinder's warnings as best she could, along with what the surges were and how the time before had probably been a surge. Yang listened with horror at first and then determination as the full story unfolded.

By the time she was done, Yang had a contemplative look on her face.

"So, you need to let these surges happen or they'll grow worse, but you can't do it in the Collegium because everyone would notice." Yang waited for her nod. "The safest place would be outside the city, right? Either in the farms or even the outskirts."

"I can't leave the city. They have Arcanists on every gate."

"We can disguise you."

"No." Yang didn't understand. How could she? The Arcanists liked to keep their abilities secret, probably so it was harder to know what to do around them. "We can sense other people using magic if they're close enough. It's one of the first things we're taught. They'll be checking every person who tries to leave, and I still have my Arcanum." She showed the sigil. "It's stuck to me with magic so I can't even get rid of it."

"And since Initiates can't leave the Collegium, you'd be in trouble, especially for trying to leave the city…"

"Yeah. That'd make me a Rogue Arcanist. They get the Sanctum."

If Cinder was right on what happened to the other Wildmages there, the Sanctum wouldn't even be a way to escape the surges of what she was. If they all went mad and killed themselves, the same might happen to her. It was something she chose not to mention.

"We need someplace out the way then. Those towers are obviously to detect you using it – I think they were tolling when you cast in here last time. Somewhere far away from here, too. Unless we want Junior's watched day-in, day-out."

Ruby sat quietly while Yang thought, thinking back to Cinder's comments on how lucky she was to have a sibling who cared. It had once been Cinder in this spot, trusting her fate to a loving family member, except that hers had delivered her to the Sanctum, abandoned her and then wiped their hands clean of her.

"I was thinking the trader's hub rooftops."

"Down by the market?" Yang frowned. "Why? I'd have thought the river would be better. Market will be pretty busy at this hour."

"I know. That gives us more people to hide among – and if we're on the rooftops, we'll be able to see anyone coming from a long way away." And if they came on foot and down below, they'd have even longer to escape.

Think like a thief and not an Arcanist. There was no way for her to out-Arcanist the Arcanists, so she had to rely on the edges she had.

"Running the risk of being spotted by locals. I'll have to hood up." Yang made her way to the door and pulled off a long cloak she used when she wanted to not be recognised. It was dark grey and mottled. She also pulled a piece of cloth up at the base of the hood which would cover her mouth and nose. "I wouldn't put it past some fucker to sell us out to the guards for coin. Junior wouldn't help us if the guards came knocking."

Junior wouldn't help them if they were on fire unless they had some way of paying him back. He wasn't someone who could afford to be charitable with the business he ran. _The sooner I come back with more for her to sell, the sooner she can move out of this place. I need to hide it from Junior next time. And steal more._

Yang wouldn't approve of the risks taken but she'd do the same in her spot.

"Come on," Yang said, pulling the long cloak on. "Let's get this done with before it gets worse for you. We can talk after, when you're less likely to have an accident."

Ruby smiled and stood. "Thanks Yang!"

"Ha. No problem."

/-/

The bell vibrated softly. In an unerringly still wind, it hummed with unrestrained power.

The shadowed figure beside it stood. Tall and lithe, dressed in black and with a white facemask that reached up to his nose, he peered out over the city. In the distance another bell tolled softly, marking the horizontal axis to his vertical. The man tilted his cloaked head, looking out over the lower district and aligning the two points.

The local market. Its location was committed to memory.

Another figure rose too, garbed in the same black robes. Without a word, he moved to the edge and held up a single hand, two fingers pointed skyward. The first nodded, raised his hand, clenched a fist, tapped his chest and then pointed forward. The second shook his head, raised two fingers and pointed. The first nodded. As one, they drew long blades and rags, soaked them in oil and then sheathed them.

They stepped to the edge and off, falling the short distance to the rooftops below. Landing with one hand down, the first kicked off, close behind the second as they made their way toward the market. Behind them, the bells on the watchtower began to toll.

The hunt was on.

* * *

**I'm sure these shadowy figures are just out for a sausage roll or something. I'm not even sure why they're in the story when they're so clearly unrelated to Ruby or the plot in any way. Yes siree.**

* * *

**Next Chapter: 17****th**** November**

**P a treon . com (slash) Coeur **


	17. Chapter 17

**I think I'm recovering from my illness. Have major neck cramps today but no headache, no jaw ache and no swollen neck. Prognosis looking good. I actually get sick around Christmas fairly often in the last few years. The doctors haven't been able to find anything which would explain it other than potentially mental conditions – like the darker nights basically making me **_**feel**_** more susceptible to illness, then reverse-placebo-ing myself sick.**

**Basically, I can cast illness with my mind! But only on myself. **

**Nice superpower.**

* * *

**Chapter 17**

* * *

The market in the slums was nothing like those in the Merchant's Quarter. It mostly solid cheap food, cloth and medicine as likely to kill you as heal. They were bartered from ratty stalls of faded cloth pinned overhead to shield goods from the rain. It was busy even at this late hour, though many of those down below were no doubt looking to acquire goods from the stalls through less than legal means.

No one looked surprised at the sight of two people on the rooftops nearby. Ruby and Yang passed at least ten others on their way here, all pointedly giving one another wide berths and avoiding contact. They didn't want trouble on the Thieves Highway.

"Well," Yang said, checking their surroundings with one hand under her cloak. She was fully hooded from anyone who might be watching, her distinctive hair tied into a ponytail and under the cloak. "We're the only ones here. That's probably for the best. How subtle can you be? This isn't going to be like the sun rising, right?"

"I've no idea. It was obvious the last time, but I was just pouring magic out without thinking. I might be able to direct it this time and that'd make it smaller…"

"Might?"

"Might." Ruby confirmed. "I don't know how this works. Cinder never had surges outside the Sanctum; she only knows that Wildmages get them and they need to be dealt with quick."

"It's getting on," Yang said pointedly, eyes up toward the moon. "Might want to get moving."

_Don't rush me. This is hard enough as it is._

Yang could never understand that without being a Wildmage and feeling the bubbling, hazy mass of power under the surface trying to break free. Here on a rooftop, she wanted nothing more than to throw her hands high and become a beacon to everyone within a hundred miles. That, of course, would be a bad idea.

"Something small," she told herself. "Something quiet."

Cupping her hands before her, Ruby knelt and held them just above the floor. Fire would be a _bad_ _idea_ in the predominantly wooden slums but luckily, she wasn't gated by what they'd learned in the Collegium.

The wind picked up. It swirled and tore at the stalls down below, flapping cloth and making people hold onto their cloaks. It was sudden, but not suspicious – not yet. The breeze came out of nowhere and engulfed the market, then spread further, pouring out of her in a rush. And what a rush it was. Ruby bit back a heady moan and her eyes flittered shut and open. It was… It was orgasmic.

"Ruby? You okay?"

"Y-Yeah," she breathed, voice ragged, knees trembling. "Mmm. I'm gooood…" Her voice broke off with a high-pitched squeak. "So good."

Yang either didn't realise what she was feeling or chose not to. "If you say so."

The freak storm continued, buffeting buildings and slamming shutters back. Rickety signs squeaked and creaked while open doors slammed shut. People clung to their hoods and hurried back to shelter. They might have thought it a freak storm or even the early coming of the annual floods, but at least they wouldn't jump to the conclusion that a Wildmage was active in the area.

_Wind. Spread it out. Not too strong. Don't destroy anything. That's it – shit, this feels so good – no, focus. Wind. Just wind. Nothing more._

It was hard to tell if it was working. No, that wasn't right – she could tell it was doing something because she could feel herself running hot and cold in measures and the headache that had plagued her for days was now the biggest high of her short life. This was surging. This was… This was magnificent. But how much was enough? How long was she supposed to hold it? Would there be some warning she'd done enough, or would she just pass out?

As always, being a Wildmage didn't come with anything in the way of instructions.

And in the distance, the bells were tolling.

"Looks like we've been noticed," Yang said, holding her ground through the harsh wind. Her cloak flapped behind her. "You almost done? We can move elsewhere and keep this going if you like. No need to stay here any longer than we have to."

That was a good point. Ruby tired to reign her power under control only to sag forward as it slipped out of her fingers. The storm intensified suddenly, raging and whipping around them and only them, tearing Yang's cloak up above her head.

"RUBY!"

"I-I've got it!"

She hadn't, but she threw her weight at the wind and focused everything she had on _cutting off_ the flow of power she was feeding it. The spell didn't go quietly, or easily. It fought and twisted out her control not quite like a living creature, but more like water running past your fingers as you tried to stop a babbling creak. It kept spilling past her fingers, around her hands and out into the night sky.

_Stop! I'm telling you to stop!_

A shutter from a nearby building snapped and flew free, twisting up and narrowly missing her head. Yang tackled her down to cover her but that only made it worse. Their cloaks flapped in the air, flicking left and right, while down below a stall cracked and snapped, the roof flying off and away.

"Ruby, you need to make it stop!"

_No wind! None! No more wind! Stop!_ When it intensified, Ruby growled and glared out from under Yang's arm. _You're my power! Mind! You do what I say!_ Her eyes burned with unshed tears. _And. I. Say. STOP!_

Something clicked in her head. The wind faltered, swept and with one final crash of shutters and doors, came to a sudden and ominous halt. Yang's cloak swept down to engulf both of them, leaving Ruby in darkness for a moment until Yang threw an arm back to brush it away. It was over. The storm had passed.

"Well, that was a thing." Yang stood and dusted herself down. "I'm taking it that wasn't normal?"

"I… I don't know." Ruby took the hand offered and let her sister haul her up. "It might just be because I don't have much control. This was my first time…"

"Let's go with that. Nothing's easy the first time you do it. It'll get better, I'm sure. How do you feel? Has that made the surges go away?"

Ruby wasn't sure they'd ever go away, but she felt lighter somehow. More at peace. While the comparison wasn't a nice one, it wasn't so dissimilar to a bladder being so full it felt like it was about to burst inside your body – compared to now where she was blessedly empty. Staring down at her fingers, she summoned a tiny flickering flame between them and asked it to dance. It weaved up and down between her fingers.

"I think it has." There was no sense of it growing out of control. "I think this helped."

"Good. And stop that." Yang swatted her hand down, risking being burnt. Ruby panicked but the fire touched Yang's hand and did nothing.

_Intent-based. I don't want to hurt Yang so it didn't._

The fire died as she let go of it. Standing, she could see down into the market where people were looking around in shock at the sudden shift from raging storm to peaceful night sky. Stall owners who had been collecting wares for safekeeping were now looking around as though asking if they should put them out again. This'd be the talk of the slums for the next few days, but again, it'd be talk of crazy weather leading into the winter months, not magic or Wildmages.

"We should get out of here." Yang tugged her away from the edge. Something like this couldn't have been missed by those who knew what they were looking for. "We'll head back to Junior's and talk before you go back to the-"

A figure stood before them. Black cloak, form-fitting with long strips of cloth hanging loose behind them. Their face was covered by a white mask that reached up over their mouth and nose and stopped beneath the eyes. Everything was covered but for those eyes, including the fingers which were clad in black leather and pointed toward her. A soft thud echoed behind. Ruby spun, spotting a second dressed in a similar fashion behind, trapping the two between them.

"We don't want any trouble," Yang said. "We're just on our way out."

The first one spoke. Voice masculine and low. "You may go. The Wildmage stays."

They knew.

Shit.

Ruby's hear thudded in her chest. She slipped behind Yang, instinctively taking solace behind the big sister that had protected her all her life. Yang dragged her behind at the same time, shielding her with an arm and turning sideways so she could keep both of them in sight.

"Wildmage?" Yang bluffed, her thick street accent slipping into place in her nervousness. "What the fuck you talkin' about? No Arcanists 'ere. Those money bags all up in the Collegium."

"Wildmage," the man spoke. "You will surrender to the Collegium of Magic. You will be granted asylum in the Sanctum. Surrender and you shall find succour and peace within its walls."

Sanctum. Fuck. They were from the Collegium! These must have been the hunters Cinder mentioned; the ones who went out and found Wildmages. Her fingers gripped Yang's cloak, legs shaking as panic overcame her.

"_Do not allow them to take you, Ruby. Fight until the end."_

Cinder knew how it was in the Sanctum. The surges wouldn't go away – she'd be driven mad and to suicide. She'd never see Yang again. "No," she said, the word tumbling out in a rush. "I won't go. I won't let you take me."

"You heard her," Yang said. "She ain't going."

The two men exchanged a meaningful nod on either side of them. Almost in unison, they reached down and drew a long blade in each hand. Thin like stiletto knives but as long as a shortsword. They were soaked and dripping something. Yang swore and slipped her own hand out, gripping a long knife in a reverse grip.

"If you will not surrender, then by the authority of the Grand Arcanist, King of Vale and also the Arcanist's Charter, you shall be slain." The man wiped his blade on his sleeve and pointed it at her. "The Sanctum shall see this duty done."

Yang herded her back with a single step. The two followed. "Run," Yang hissed.

"But-"

"It's you they're after, not me. They won't waste time fighting me. Run. I'll buy time and then make a break for it myself."

Or they might just kill Yang and be done with it. Ruby glared at them, magic once more tickling under her skin. It would be so easy to just blast them both away and get her and Yang out together. Too easy. The bells were still tolling, and more would be coming. If things were bad now, they'd only get worse the longer she waited. _They're trying to keep me still until reinforcements arrive. They want to trap me._

Pushing off from Yang's back, Ruby fled.

The Sanctum hunters jumped after her.

Yang roared and interposed herself between one and Ruby, swinging her knife for his jugular. The man swayed and ducked under it, pushing past Yang and slamming an elbow into her back to knock her off balance. Even falling, Yang managed to snatch onto the man's cloak and drag him down with her. The second paused, looking back.

"Go!" the first ordered. "Kill the Wildmage before it's too late!"

/-/

Ruby landed on the rooftop and rolled forward, bleeding momentum until she could get back on her feet. The jumps and twists of the slums were her home, more familiar than the trip from her new dorm to the food hall. A drop here, a quick climb there – the wood was rotten on miller's rooftop so that wasn't safe. Dip under and take to the railing instead, then kick off, grab the lip of the roof and climb back up. Planting one foot down on the lip, she looked back.

The black cloaked figure landed hard on the railing and hurried along it with his arms held out flat either side for balance. His eyes were on her, his footsteps tracing her own perfectly.

"Shit."

Not a guard – that was for sure. He couldn't have been wearing any armour under those cloaks either or he'd have crashed straight on through. _As agile as a thief and quick as a slum-dweller. Have they been hiring thieves from the streets?_

There was no way. No one here would dare work with the Collegium.

"Keep moving. I can lose him."

Another rooftop led to a jump over a street far below – a real leg breaker. Ruby leapt and wheeled her arms, catching the opposite lip and drawing herself up. She scurried on, listening for the scream behind but hearing nothing more than a grunt and a solid landing.

A twist left took her down a level, hopping onto a lower roof. _He_ jumped further, over her head and cutting off her route. Ruby pivoted on one heel instantly and shot left, leaving him hanging and cursing. She hopped up, planted one foot on the wall and then kicked off with all her strength, using it to push herself high enough to catch the edge of the next. Footsteps below told her he was still following; she didn't wait to see if he could make it.

Over the next roof and onto the next, sliding out of sight and jumping down to the streets to push through a crowd. Startled yells and insults behind told her the trick hadn't lost him and Ruby broke cover, pushing through to jump up, land on a windowsill and push herself higher. Gripping the wooden plank above, she was able to twist herself back and upwards, tensing her muscles to roll herself back and up with just her upper body strength. Her feet found the lip and clung on, stomach clenching as she dragged herself up.

He took it slower – far too heavy for that kind of gymnastics. It wasn't easy for her either and she panted as she ran on, trying to put as many twists and turns between herself and him before he could get up and find her.

_I can't go back to Junior's with him on my tail. I need to lose him first._

Ruby pulled her cloak tighter around herself and jumped another street, landing and looking back. If the pursuer saw her face she'd be in trouble; he might be able to point her out among the Initiates. She pulled the cloth up over her mouth and nose a little tighter, thanking Yang silently for thinking to make her wear it. Her eyes might give her away but only if they got close enough to see them. From a distance, they looked more grey than silver.

That might change if they got her – especially if they killed her like they were saying. All of Cinder's warnings came rushing back, along with the realisation of just why Cinder had no idea how these people worked. They didn't bring Wildmages back alive. They killed them on the spot. Well, they'd made a mistake in thinking her defenceless. Or afraid to fight back. As he reached the rooftop, paused, saw her and charged to the edge to jump, Ruby pointed her bare hand toward him.

"You forget you were chasing a Wildmage?" she whispered as he approached the edge and bunched his knees. "Come on. Wind. Knock him right out the air!"

He was halfway across the open space when her magic roared forth – the same howling gales as before, but now condensed by her goal to hit him and only him into a visible ball of wind, coiling and spinning with whit streaks clear to the naked eye. It bulged against the palm of her hand, awaiting her instruction.

_Hit him._

The ball _cracked_ out from her hand, snapping forward as though it were an arrow shot from a bow. He had nowhere to hide and no way of avoiding it. Cloak flapping behind him, feet angled forward in readiness for his landing, he was a sitting duck waiting for her attack to hit. It hurtled through the air and into him, crashing into his chest with a hiss and explosion of smoke?

Ruby stared, unable to comprehend as her attack – one so powerful she knew it could break bones – turned into wisps of smoke that the man pushed through, leaving behind a thin trail in the air. He landed feet first, caught himself and tackled her to the floor. Her back scraped against the roof, skull cracking down as he straddled her, knees on either sides of her hips.

One of his knives clattered away as he let go and pinned her down by her cloak. His other came up, blade glinting.

"No!" she screamed, throwing out _everything_ and just wanting him _off_.

Bright golden light exploded between them. The force of it drove the wind from her, the spell exploding so close that it backlashed into her. To him, however, it did nothing. The smoke, tinted gold this time, wisped off him and over his shoulders.

He was immune. He… he was immune to her magic…

His dark blue eyes remained locked on hers, narrowed dangerously. He brought his weapon back up, ready to stab down.

Ruby's eyes bulged. Her mouth opened in a silent scream.

"Die Wildmage."

_Thunk_

A bolt of wood sprouted from the man's shoulder, punching into his front with enough force to drive his hand back. He faltered, his eyes pinching as he looked over Ruby. He brought his other hand up in front of his face an instant before a grey boot impacted. Even though he blocked it, the force pushed him back and off her. He staggered away, taking the blade from his right hand with his left. His entire arm was limp where the crossbow bolt had hit.

Hands dragged Ruby up from behind.

"Magic doesn't work on them," Ruby gasped for Yang's benefit.

"It does," a voice that was decidedly not Yang's replied. "You just need to know how. Mists of the morning, shroud my path."

Thick smoke bunched and rolled up onto the rooftop, wrapping around the three of them in an unnatural fashion. The person behind her may have said must but it was far too thick for that. More like smog that blanketed everything. The Sanctum hunter swiped his arm against it but was powerless to do anything as it wrapped around and took him from sight. Them as well.

"Any Arcanists found aiding Wildmages will be considered Rogue Arcanists!" he yelled through the fog. "Desist or you will be struck down."

"Hmph. I'd like to see you try. Come," the woman whispered. "It's time for us to leave."

"Who are you?"

"Not here. Come."

Ruby followed as the woman tugged her aside. The questions could wait until she was safe – and anywhere close to magic-immune people chasing her wasn't that. Still winded from being knocked down less than a minute before, she stumbled after the other Arcanist, wondering in the back of her mind if this wasn't some other trick.

"Down," the Arcanist said, hopping onto a lower roof level. "The mist won't keep him occupied for long."

"Why are you helping me?"

"Let's just call it mutual interests for now." The cloaked figure – in black again, but different to the people from the Sanctum. More form fitting and with a scarf around her neck and chin – jumped across another opening toward a wooden balcony attached to the side of a building. She caught it and turned back, holding out a hand for Ruby to follow.

Did she, though? Help was all well and good but Arcanists were bad news.

Sanctum was worse, and the impact of feet behind her told Ruby her pursuer had found his way out. Throwing caution to the wind, she took her chances with the person she knew _wouldn't_ be immune to any spell she could cast.

"Got you." The Arcanist caught her, even if she didn't have to, and pulled Ruby behind her, backing away from the ledge.

"We should run," Ruby insisted.

"Wait a moment and learn something."

"Learn what!?"

The Arcanist backed away as the hunter leapt the gap, landing on the balcony and catching the wall with his good hand, pinning his weapon flat against a wooden post. His right shoulder still had the bolt in it and was slick with blood.

"How to deal with those on whom magic has no effect." The Arcanist let go of Ruby and brought both hands before her. "Sometimes the answer is painfully simple. Through force, be pushed."

The spell was the same the Crimson Arcanist used on Jaune – a simple spell that knocked someone back and nothing more. It wouldn't do a damn thing to someone who could shrug of her wind blast without moving a muscle. The hunter wasn't pushed back.

The _balcony_, however, was. The spell struck in front of his feet and blasted at thee balcony floor. Wooden and rotted, a support beam cracked underneath and the whole thing tilted back. The Sanctum hunter, down to only one arm, tried to catch himself on the lip but couldn't reach in time. The whole thing fell with a wet crack of wood, crashing down to the ground several metres below with the pursuer groaning among the wreckage.

"Even if they're immune, not everything else is," the Arcanist said.

_Affecting the world around them. Why didn't I think of that? Probably because I didn't expect him to actually be able to stop my spell in the first place…_ The man didn't _sound_ dead, just injured. Ruby pulled out her dagger and leaned over the edge.

"Don't." A hand pulled her back. "Kill one of them and they'll turn this place upside down to find you. It's not worth it."

Ruby let herself be pulled away, making a motion of sheathing her dagger but not doing so. She slipped it up her sleeve instead, turning to follow the other woman across the rooftop and down the other side, out of sight.

"Do you have somewhere we can speak?" the woman asked.

"Not anywhere I'd trust you enough to take you…"

"Saving your life doesn't win your trust?"

Not in the slightest. It only meant the woman had more use for her alive than dead.

"I guess not." The woman sighed. "Fine. I have… an alcove I've been using to rest in. It's not too far away." She pulled her hood down over her black hair. "We shouldn't talk out here. They won't be the only huntsmen out tonight. Just the closest."

Huntsmen. That must have been what the Sanctum called these people. Not guards like Jaune, but ones who actually went out, hunted down and killed both Wildmages and Rogue Arcanists, of which this person was clearly the latter. Was this a case of enemy of my enemy, or did the Rogue Arcanists want something with her?

_Only one way to find out…_

/-/

The alcove turned out to be just that – a crawlspace between a building that had been erected up against the wall to the Merchant's Quarter. A beam had rotted away, allowing the person to pry it out and create a little home for themselves. It was no more than three metres by three metres with little to keep it safe but for a rag over the entrance.

"Aren't you worried someone might find this place?"

"Normal eyes couldn't see past the spells placed on it and I know how to keep hidden from the arcane scryers." The other woman crawled in and Ruby entered after, taking note of the simple bundle of cloths that formed a bed. There was a small chest nearby. Other than that, nothing to keep the place safe.

"I don't sense any magic…"

"That's the whole point. You can't. No one can."

"Look, that's good and all but my sister is still out there-"

"Unless she's a Wildmage like you, she should be safe. The huntsmen make it a point only to kill those they are supposed to target. That's Rogue Arcanists like myself or Wildmages like you." She sat and let out a long breath. "Though, I hardly knew you were a Wildmage when I first saw you. I felt the power inside you but assumed it was just the spark of an Arcanist…"

Ruby's eyes narrowed. "First saw me…?"

The hood came down, revealing black hair, similarly coloured ears poking up and bright yellow eyes. The thin and angled face of the Arcanist all the way back in Mac's bar appeared before her. An Arcanist who had _allegedly_ disappeared from Vale after saddling her with an item the Arcanists wanted and which she couldn't get rid of! An Arcanist who was standing right now in front of her telling her that she'd _known_ Ruby had a spark within her and had implicitly _chosen_ to throw her into this mess because of it.

Sparks crackled to life around Ruby's fingers. Her eyes flickered and the floor buckled underfoot, beams splintering of their own accord as Ruby stood tall and stared at the person who'd started this whole mess.

"You're angry," the Arcanist said, bringing her hands up. "I can appreciate that."

"You can, huh?" Before, she'd been afraid to question the girl because of her weapons and demeanour – even before she'd found out the power the faunus wielded. Now, with everything she had, that fear was gone. "That's good. Because you're going to explain and explain quickly. Or I'm going to show you what happens to those who cheat you in the lower district. You promised us thousands. Now, I'm hunted by the Collegium."

The girl cringed. "I can see why that might be a problem."

Ruby slammed a foot forward. The floor cracked on a direct path to the other girl, splintering around her feet in clear warning. _She_ was not immune like the huntsmen were. And Ruby wasn't feeling all too forgiving.

"Explain. Now."

* * *

**I will be going back to proper length chapters after this weekend. Just recovering for now. **

**So, a lot of people seemed to think the watchers from last chapter were Blake and Adam – which was fair, I suppose. The white masks may have been a little unfair on my part. In my defence, I actually based these outfits off enemies in the Thief Series, which was an old favourite of mine when I was younger. A secret organisation called "The Keepers" had white-masked, black-cloaked assassins that acted to silence and remove those considered a threat to them. **

**But hey, Blake is back – and Ruby isn't exactly thrilled to see her. I wonder why.**

* * *

**Next Chapter: 24****th**** November**

**P a treon . com (slash) Coeur **


	18. Chapter 18

**Here we go**

* * *

**Chapter 18**

* * *

"I'll tell you what I can…"

Ruby leaned forward ominously, causing the floor to crack further. There was no Wildmagic involved in that, just rotten floorboards. It served the same purpose in making the Arcanist grimace. The last time they'd met, their roles had been reversed. That wasn't the case now. Even if the Arcanist knew she couldn't do anything without alerting her hunters, she couldn't be sure Ruby wouldn't risk it.

"My name is Blake. Blake Belladonna. I'm an Arcanist from Menagerie, which you've probably already figured out because of the Arcanum you're wearing. It used to be mine."

"I thought these were bound to an Arcanist forever…"

"They are. I just found a way to change that." Blake brought out a hand, showing off a small gemstone trapped between her fore and middle finger. Just the one, a round stone that was a murky grey in colour.

_I haven't seen that colour before,_ Ruby thought. _Silver and white, but never dark grey._

"As you've probably heard, Menagerie was destroyed. Not just the Collegium but the entire city. Those that could evacuate did so, but almost everyone in the Collegium, including the Grand Arcanist, fell."

"Fell to what?"

Blake's eyes glinted. "Grimm."

"Grimm!?" Caught between a gasp and a laugh, Ruby shook on the spot. It was horrible, she knew, and Grimm were no joke, but for them to take out an entire city… "How? You hear about Grimm every now and then in the outskirts, but there's more danger from bandits. They kill a traveller occasionally – or we assume they do when blood and guts are strewn everywhere – but they're not exactly a problem of city-ending proportions."

"That's what we thought as well…"

Ruby's laughter died. "You're being serious?"

"They didn't come without warning," Blake spat, glaring at the closest wall. "That's what makes it so galling. We had reports of sightings months in advance, then attacks on outlying homes for several weeks. Everyone just thought it was activity stirring them up, so Arcanists were sent out to deal with them and that was that. Grimm were rounded up and killed as they always were. The Grand Arcanist didn't even think to send out warning to the other Collegiums. Why would he? It was business as usual."

Business for the Arcanists maybe, but this was the first Ruby had heard of it. Grimm were a present but rarely seen threat for most people in the city. At least, those that saw them rarely lived to tell of it. They prowled the outskirts and abandoned forests beyond the farmlands but never strayed closer. There were always stories of Grimm coming in the night and taking away children, but once she'd been old enough to figure out that was bullshit, she'd asked the guards outside the walls – those that weren't ass enough to beat you for interrupting them.

Grimm were real, but they didn't bother you if you didn't go looking for them. The guards had seen them in their time, but never had to fight them. No one did. They never strayed into the farmlands or close to the city.

If Blake was right, that was because of the Arcanists.

_Is that why the Arcanists were leaving the city when I first snuck back in? Were they going to fight Grimm? Does that mean I really did see a Grimm in the outskirts?_ The red eyes among the trees came back to her. _No. It was probably just blood like the captain said. If it'd really been a Grimm, it would have attacked me._

"What does that have to do with Vale or me?" she asked. "And why did you need me at all? You're an Arcanist."

"I'm a Rogue Arcanist."

"Only because you choose to be," Ruby accused. "You have an Arcanum and it let _me_ get into the Collegium, so you could as well. I doubt they'd say you broke the tenets just for surviving the fall of Menagerie."

If they let _her_ in thinking she was an initiate from Menagerie, then they'd let Blake in as well. It didn't make sense otherwise. The only reason they called people Rogue Arcanists was because they chose to go against the Collegium. One being destroyed by external forces hardly counted.

"I have… reasons to not want to go back."

"And do those reasons explain why you sent _me_ instead? So Menagerie fell. That's bad, but it's not like there have been Grimm attacks here. Why do you want to stay hidden? And if you really didn't want to come to the Collegium, why come to Vale in the first place?" Ruby stepped forward. "You're hiding something."

"Aren't we all?" Blake countered. "I have my reasons."

"Not good enough when I'm in danger!"

"I didn't expect you to be a Wildmage. I wouldn't have come anywhere near you if I'd known!"

Wildmages hadn't been treated any better in Menagerie by the sound of it. Used to it by now, Ruby crossed her arms and waited, foot tapping on the floor ominously. "That doesn't answer my question. Why did you want someone else to go into the Collegium? And why someone who didn't know anything about magic. I could have been captured." Her eyes narrowed. "Or was that the point?"

Blake's silence was telling.

It wasn't uncommon in the slums to send someone on a doomed mission to deliver a message. Sometimes the attempt itself was the message, like paying someone to mug a person they couldn't hope to take just to remind said person they were in danger. And if the mugger got himself killed in the process? Well, that was a shame but hardly the problem of the one paying.

_She sent me in expecting me to be caught. I was supposed to be found._

"Why? What's the point?"

"Menagerie was no accident." Blake looked frustrated but faced with an angry Wildmage and unable to explain in an acceptable way why she'd tried to sacrifice her, knew better than to dance around the topic. "It was an inside job. I have reason to think the same is going to happen with the Collegium here."

Ruby sucked in a sharp breath. "And Vale?"

"If it's anything like what happened to us, the city would be destroyed."

Killing her, Yang and everyone else in it. Assuming Blake was telling the truth. There was a chance she wasn't; having been caught trying to throw her to the wolves, it'd make sense for Blake to try and win her over now by making the mission her problem as well.

_I can't confirm if she's being honest or not. And I can't get rid of her in case she is…_

Clever. Ruby scowled.

"I can't tell you how it happened," Blake said, "And not because I won't. I was there to witness it, but only in terms of the Grimm attacking in numbers never before seen. The city fell first, but once the Grimm were inside, they all but ignored the people – rushing straight for the Collegium. We were overwhelmed within the hour. Counter measures were employed, but they weren't enough. The entire kingdom was slaughtered."

Ruby's heart skipped a beat. If this was even remotely true, it was terrifying.

"Then why didn't you come tell the Collegium here? Why involve me?"

"As I said, it was no accident and I've no idea if the same people who orchestrated it are involved here. I don't even know who _they_ are. They'd know who I am, however. My name might not mean much to you, but it would to anyone from Menagerie. I need to stay hidden. But I needed _someone_ within the Collegium to act on my behalf."

Ruby blinked. "Me."

Blake winced. "No. Whomever discovered you…"

The Arcanist who caught and expelled her – or even just threw her in prison for impersonating a noble or the Sanctum for being a filthy Dredger posing as an Arcanist. If they didn't just kill her and call it an accident. _They'd have been in possession of her Arcanum, so maybe she could have used that to find them. Blake wanted someone on the inside to do her bidding._

Instead, she'd stumbled across a Wildmage.

"That changes now of course," Blake said. "Otherwise, I'd have let that huntsman kill you on the rooftop. I'm willing to work with you. You help me investigate the Collegium and find those responsible for Menagerie, and I'll see to stopping them. It would be a partnership."

"Awfully generous of you. Since I'm still deciding whether to kill you myself…"

Blake tensed.

It was just a bluff. Killing Blake now would not only draw every one of these so-called huntsmen to her, but also deprive her of the only person who knew more about the events in Menagerie. It was good to see the wind ripped out of her sails though, and as a reminder that she wasn't one to be toyed with. She wouldn't forget that Blake initially planned for her to be captured.

"I _did_ save your life back there…"

"I wouldn't have been there if it wasn't for you in the first place."

"You're a Wildmage. Your power would have spiralled out of control eventually. If anything, I've given you a stay of execution." Blake opened her arms. "And I'm not above assisting you in the future. I can hide you when you need to drain your surges – even teach you a few tricks to avoid or deal with the huntsmen."

Making her more and more valuable. Ruby growled under her breath, already aware that just by virtue of being able to hide her surges from the Sanctum, Blake was too important to not work with. It meant the difference between life and death.

_That doesn't mean I have to trust her…_

"Let's say I do agree to work with you." Ruby ignored how the girl's shoulders relaxed. "What would that mean?"

"You've already infiltrated the Collegium, so the hard work is done. I'd want you to keep an eye out for anything unusual, but until the Grimm start to act up, I'm not sure what that will be. One thing you could do is try to find out more about them."

"The Grimm?"

"Yes. The Grand Arcanist knew things, but none of us did." Blake pocketed her gemstone. "I'm not sure if that's intentional or not, but two-stone Arcanists were sent to cull Grimm regularly, especially when their numbers began increasing. There has to be a reason they were sent."

"Because they're stronger," Ruby offered. "Seems obvious to me."

"But they're not. Not all of them. A single stone Crimson Arcanist is stronger than a two-stone Emerald and Azure, at least in combat. Every Arcana has its individual strengths. Whenever I tried to ask, I was told the Grimm were just monsters and that was all that mattered. For an institution which prides itself on knowledge and understanding, the lack of such encouraged around the Grimm is disturbing. Almost intentionally so."

If they were hiding things, it wouldn't be the first time. "What makes you think they'd tell me?"

"Different rules for a different Collegium. It may be that the knowledge isn't concealed here, but if it is then you might need to find it by… other means. I was hoping to draw the attention of a two-stone Arcanist who could gain access legally, but that's not the only option."

"You want me to sneak in and steal from the Arcanists?"

"Would it be the first time you've done so?"

"Yes!" The Initiates didn't count. Not even slightly. "You're asking me to steal from Arcanists."

"Not them," she said. "They wouldn't be good enough. I'm asking you to steal from the _real_ Arcanists. Those in positions of power."

"Is that supposed to be better?" Ruby asked. "Because it _sounds_ worse."

"You're a Wildmage. Whether I like that or not, you have a unique set of skills that no one else can match. And I'm prepared to help by drawing attention outside the Collegium if you need me to. I know I betrayed you," Blake said. "I misled and tricked you into a bad situation, but I did it with the best of intentions and I'm willing to make amends."

"Your good intentions can go jump off a cliff," Ruby snapped. "If I do this, I'm doing it for me."

And Yang, Weiss, Jaune, Sun and Cinder, but the less Blake knew about all those people the better. She wasn't about to volunteer information on her weaknesses to this woman. Not after everything she'd done. _Saving my life earns you yours, but it's not going to make me forget you lying to me or throwing me into the Upper District to be caught handing that Arcanum in._

"That's enough," Blake said. "It's all I'll ask. And I _will_ make good on the money I promised you. More than that, I'll stay in the slums and defend your sister from the huntsmen. I'll do all that and more, so long as you help me."

"Help you keep Vale safe?"

"Yes."

"I want more in return."

"More?" Blake's expression twisted. "What more could you possibly want? Do you realise the fate of the city is at stake here?"

To hell with the city. The city had done nothing but shit upon her and Yang. Ruby stuck her jaw out and waited. The thing about negotiation, as Junior had taught her through example, was that if the other party _needed_ you, you could walk away with anything you asked for. And right now, Blake needed her.

"Very well." Blake sighed. "What do you want?"

"I want to know what role Wildmages have in this and why the Collegium hates them."

Blake's lips drew back into a wince.

/-/

"Are you fucking joking?"

Yang punched the table, rattling it and the earthenware beakers of boiled river water sat on top. Making their way back to Junior's had been dangerous, but with Blake to keep them hidden from the huntsmen, they'd made it back without problems, and in time to find Yang waiting for them, safe and sound. As planned, the huntsmen fighting her had kicked her off and given chase the moment he could, leaving an unimportant target behind.

"Are you _fucking_ joking?" Yang asked again, snarling at Blake. "Or do you really expect us to believe you don't know a _damn thing_ about Wildmages?"

"I'm afraid it's true. I only know that they're dangerous."

"Piss off. If you don't know shit, why do you think they're dangerous in the first place?"

"It's what we're taught…"

"And you just take it, just like that, without asking a single question?" Yang sat back when Blake didn't answer. "Fuck me. Are you sure this is a school? Doesn't sound like they're teaching much up there. Just feeding you shit you're expected to swallow."

Ruby sat without speaking, a huge smile on her face. Any anger directed at Blake was reinforcement of her own and a reminder that she wasn't the only one who thought this whole thing was a pile of crap. Wildmages were dangerous just about everyone said, and now not even an _official Arcanist_ knew the reason why. Blake was no Initiate. She was a one-stone Arcanist. A professional.

"I'm sure we would have been told why in time, but I don't know the specifics just yet." Blake sat tightly, aware that no one here was a friend and occasionally looking toward the sword and hand-crossbow she'd been forced to leave by the door. "If Wildmages knew why they were so deadly, they might use whatever that is. The Collegiums can't allow that. Secrecy is important. Knowledge is power."

"And like always, the nobles have to hoard that to themselves," Yang sniped. "Great. I bet anyone who asks too deeply disappears, too. Wouldn't surprise me at this point. What of those guys who went after Ruby?"

"The huntsmen. They're… enforcers, for lack of a better term. They ensure Arcanists follow the rules."

"I thought that was what the Collegium was for."

"The Collegium sets the rules and teaches people to follow them. Naturally, there must be a branch which deals with those who go astray. That's the huntsmen." Blake touched the spot where her Arcanum would have hung and, finding it missing, clutched her hand into a fist and brought it back down to the table. "They belong to the Sanctum and are a secretive order. As you saw, magic also does not work on them, making them the perfect hunters for Wildmages and Arcanists."

"Is that a spell?"

"I don't know."

Yang slammed her hand on the table again.

"I don't!" she insisted. "Why would they tell an Arcanist the methods by which their Anti-Arcanist enforcers operate? It can't be a spell, though, I'm sure of that. Better Arcanists could detect and unravel it if that were the case. I sensed _no_ magic around them whatsoever. There's nothing there. Almost an emptiness…"

Like the Sanctum. At the time, she hadn't thought to check, but now that Blake mentioned it, she hadn't sensed anything from the Sanctum Huntsmen. It was like they were perfectly normal people with no magical ability whatsoever. No spells cast on their clothing to protect them and no spells cast by them in the pursuit.

Knives, training and reflexes were their weapons, and enough to let them keep up with a messenger in her own home. That was more worrying than she cared to admit. _With the bells everywhere, they can sense every surge of mine. Unless I let Blake hide them._

Indebting her further and further.

Ruby met Yang's eyes and nodded subtly. Yang raised an eyebrow, tapped a finger on her leg and nodded back. Play along for now. Things might change later.

"So," Yang said, leaning forward. Her foot slid next to Ruby's so she could tap on it to stop any line of questioning. "You want my little sister to run jobs for you in the Collegium? That's a tall ask, especially if you – a trained Arcanist – daren't do it yourself."

"My methods are almost entirely focused around my magic. That's no use against a Collegium."

"What proof do we have _you're_ not the one behind the fall of Menagerie?"

"What!?" Blake's eyes grew wide and her mouth fell open. "How- Why would you-?" She bit down, hissing through her teeth. "Menagerie was my home! I had family there! I would _never_ destroy the world I loved."

The anger appeared genuine. Ruby tapped Yang's foot.

"Hey. I'm just being careful." Leaning back, Yang let it go. Blake didn't relax but did calm down, hands slowly coming to rest on the table. "We've got to think of ourselves, yeah? And hearing about how the Grimm are going to destroy Vale is a little unbelievable. I've seen maybe one in my life and it was being hunted down and killed by the guards."

Yang had seen one? When? Ruby stared at her.

"Couple a years back," Yang said. "I didn't tell you because it didn't seem like a big deal. And it's not," she said to Blake. "Grimm kill people that are unprepared or wandering through the outskirts without protection. They're no more dangerous than wolves or bears."

"Wolves and bears won't attack unless hungry or threatened. Grimm kill without purpose." Blake's eyes were clouded. For her, the Grimm must have been a lot more terrifying, given what she claimed to have seen. "And I can't say for certain Menagerie's fate will befall Vale. If it doesn't, we'll be fine, but even you have to have heard about unusual activity in the outskirts. People vanishing. Roads becoming dangerous."

Yang shook her head. "Nope."

"I… I did…" Ruby winced as they both looked her way. "It was after I took the job from Blake. Junior sent me out to talk to the guard captain in the East Farm Watchtower. He said there'd been homes burned in the outskirts."

"Shit." Yang swore. "And you said you saw red eyes…"

"He told me it was blood."

"It might have been."

"It might not have been," Blake interrupted. "And blood does not burn down homes and slaughter its people. Grimm do."

"Or bandits. Or drunken fucks passing out and dropping a torch." Yang scoffed. "Bit much to jump to monsters roaming through the forests murdering people, isn't it? Or some conspiracy to destroy the city."

"Too soon for now," Blake agreed, "But not for long. I intend to investigate. If you wish it, I'll take you with me."

"Fine," Yang said.

"No!" Ruby argued. "It's not safe!"

"Okay, fine. I won't go." Yang said it so easily that Ruby knew it was horse shit. The very _second_ Yang was out of her sight, she'd be following Blake to find out for herself whether this was true. Ruby glared at Blake, imparting a message.

Anything happens to Yang and she would not be pleased.

Meeting her gaze, Blake nodded.

"Once you see for yourself, you can tell Ruby. I won't ask her to do anything dangerous in the Collegium until then and I'll still hide her surges whether I'm proven right or not. How is that for a deal?"

"It's generous… provided you follow through."

"Ruby knows my name now and were I can be found if she's captured." Blake met her gaze over the table. "This blade cuts both ways now. The Collegium would not take my aiding a Wildmage well…"

"We have to make a decision soon," Yang prompted. "It's late. Or early. You'll need to get back into the Collegium before anyone notices you're missing."

Ruby stared at the hand offered across the table. She'd already decided what to do – not because she wanted to, but because it was the only real option. The only reason she was stalling was to make Blake squirm, but Yang was right. The only one that was going to suffer was her.

"We have a deal." Ruby's hand gripped Blake's. The faunus tensed as ice gripped it, encasing both their hands together. Ruby drew her close, leaning over the table and smiling. "This time, make sure you stick to the deal. Or I _will_ find you."

Blake swallowed.

"Noted."

/-/

Getting back into the Collegium was surprisingly easy. All the people out for her were in the slums, letting her wrap herself in invisibility once more and slip inside, then pull off her cloak and bundle it up under her initiate robes. The Collegium was still and quiet, the dorms dark at what had to be three or four in the morning.

Doors squeaked and floorboards creaked as she tip-toed through, slipping in toward her and Weiss' room. She was careful opening it, pausing when Weiss smacked her lips but continuing when the white bob of hair sticking out from the blankets rolled over to look the other way. Ruby crept into her own bed and kicked off her shoes.

Without the surge bubbling through her, she felt lighter than she had in a while. It was hard to place it at the time, but now when she laid back, she felt more comfortable. More rested. It was like laying down on a cold rock on a hot day, whereas before she'd been constantly agitated and restless.

_Finally, I can get a proper rest._

Two hours later, Weiss woke her up.

/-/

"I don't know why you're getting so antsy at me," Weiss said. "You always drag me up at six to watch the Newbloods train. I assumed you'd want the same again here."

"Ughhh." Ruby groaned pitifully.

"You've only yourself to blame for being out so late."

Ruby moaned something useless again and Weiss rolled her eyes. If she didn't want to be so tired, she shouldn't be sneaking off all the time. _At least she warned me this time so I didn't panic,_ she thought, taking a seat under a shaded tree and letting Ruby collapse next to her. This time, Ruby had trusted her enough to tell her she'd be missing – and Weiss would repay that trust in kind by keeping the little secret. That was what one's word was for, after all.

It was nice to have someone trust her so. Proving that faith correct wouldn't be so hard, but that didn't mean Ruby could be allowed to stay in and miss lessons.

"We have that orientation in a few days, Ruby. You don't want to be put in detention and miss that. Do you?"

"No, Weiss…"

"Just think of it. We're going to be exposed to all the Arcana available to us. Isn't that exciting?"

"Yes, Weiss…"

"I know we won't be asked to pick just yet, but it's still a momentous occasion. We should consider every option and choose carefully. Aside from being limited to just two, it might be _years_ before we can master one. Can you even imagine if we chose poorly and regretted it?"

"No, Weiss…"

"Exactly!" She took a deep breath. "I suppose we should try and remain calm, but that's difficult. Have you put any thought into what Arcana you might choose?"

"Yes, Weiss…"

Weiss waited for an answer. It didn't come.

"Ruby!"

"Yes, Weiss…"

"Ruby…" she growled. The little Arcanist was all but fast asleep against her side, curled up with her knees tucked against her chest. "Oooh. You're fortunate you are adorable like that, Ruby, or I would shake you so hard right now!"

"Hngh. Weiss…" Ruby curled up tighter. "No more lectures, Weiss. I'm a noble lady… hmm…"

"Tch. You dolt."

_There's at least two hours before lessons. I suppose a nap is allowable._ Weiss took her roommate and drew her head up so it rested in her lap, much like Winter used to for her. "Consider yourself fortunate, Ruby. I'm only keeping bugs out your hair."

Weiss sat beneath the tree as other initiates came to watch the Newbloods. The number varied each day but there were some that came without fault, herself and Ruby now technically among them. What that might mean for her reputation she wasn't sure – it might even be good, seeing as how she was otherwise considered cold and unfeeling.

The spaces around them were quickly taken, some bringing towels or blankets to lay down and others simply crossing their legs and sitting on the grass. The Newbloods arrived quickly, strutting in that way they did when they knew they were being watched. She had to roll her eyes at it. _I'd like to say `men` but there are women among them too. How pathetic._

It never lasted. Once the training began, their pomp would soon be replaced with sweat and stress as they struggled to score in the upper half of the pack in what was a gruelling test of endurance. The audience didn't mind, tunics becoming that much more see-through when wet. Weiss normally ignored it, but if she had a favourite then she supposed it would be Lord Jaune, though only for Ruby's sake.

_I don't see him among them today._

Her hand came up to her face. "Don't tell me Ruby and he were together."

The scandal that would be. At least if nothing came of it. Despite their noble nature, flings were surprisingly common among the upper elite. So long as said interactions didn't result in children, that was. If that happened, marriage was quick and common to patch it up before anything might imperil the family name. If Ruby and Jaune spent the night doing that, it would certainly explain her exhaustion.

"And suddenly, I'm much less happy about having your head in my lap. Ew…"

"Ahoy Lady Weiss," a familiar voice called. "Is there room for another?"

"Lord Jaune?" She rotated her head in time to see him coming up her way, pacing his way through the assembled initiates in a long runic rather than his usual gambeson. He even wore a cloak of sorts, swung back over his right shoulder and down the front and back, covering his arm. Certainly not suitable attire for sprinting in the morning sun. "You're not running today?"

"Not today. And call me Jaune please. I prefer it that way."

"Then you must call me Weiss." Anyone else might have been denied the simple pleasure, but he was both a friend of Ruby and her champion, standing up for her against Malneux. For that, he had her gratitude. "And yes, there is room. Take a seat. I'm afraid Ruby isn't in a position to talk, however."

"I can see that." He laughed quietly and settled down close but not too close.

Had it been just the two of them, she was sure jaws would wag, but fortunately Ruby and her known association with Jaune prevented that. A few people were looking their way, but mostly at him and out of curiosity as to why he wasn't training.

Although Ruby likely never noticed and certainly wouldn't care, the way she and Jaune interacted was far from the average for two nobles in their position. It wasn't just the fact they were in a relationship of sorts, but how they spoke and how physical they were, laughing, trading light blows and hanging off one another.

What Ruby didn't realise was how much of it was her and her alone. Around her, Jaune was much more guarded – or rather, he acted as he was supposed to, and she did the same. They both sat tall and still, smiling genially but not making any overt gestures that might give anything away. If Ruby were awake, she would have quickly dragged them both down to her vulgar level.

Weiss was surprised to find she missed that.

"Why is Ruby so tired?" Jaune asked suddenly. "Did she not sleep?"

Weiss shot him a sideways glance, half-expecting a smug smile. There wasn't one. So, Ruby _hadn't_ been with him last night. In that case, it was her duty to deflect the question. "She ate too much at dinner and couldn't sleep. The whole night was a constant barrage of waking up and falling asleep again."

Given Ruby's legendary hunger, it wasn't even remotely unbelievable.

"I see!" Jaune laughed charismatically, which was to say it was a perfectly feigned and carefully crafted sound he'd likely been taught from a young age. Designed to lower guards and make women swoon. Or such was the theory. Weiss, and any other noble lady worth their salt, ignored it. "I get that with certain foods too. Spices don't agree with me. I hope she'll be okay."

"I'm sure she will after a quick nap – and perhaps no breakfast today." Weiss eyed him again. "But you still haven't answered my question."

He smiled dazzlingly. "Which one?"

Evasive of him. How droll.

"It's rude to make a lady repeat herself. Why are you not training today? I don't claim to know your schedule, but I see Sun down there, along with Lieutenant-commander Alabaster, who I don't believe would let _anyone_ off from training no matter their rank."

"Ah. You caught me." His smile faltered, though only for a second. It became smaller, more honest and just a little embarrassed. That was the real him. He broke eye contact and ran a hand through his hair. "I'm actually injured."

He used his left arm to brush his cloak to the side, revealing a tight set of bandages wrapped around his right shoulder, along with a sling holding his arm still. He let the cloak fall back to cover it when she gasped.

"How did this happen?"

"Training accident," he admitted ruefully. "I parried late, got caught and didn't move with the blow. A comedy of errors with my shoulder as the punchline."

If so, it wasn't a very funny joke. The bandages covered much from view, but the fact he had them in the first place was troubling. This was the Arcane Collegium.

"Why haven't you had someone from the Emerald Arcana treat you?"

"Well… Lord Alabaster seemed to think I should suffer through it. I think his words were - `to remind you to dodge better the next time, you lazy sack of horse manure`." Jaune grinned. "I'm cutting off a little of his more colourful language there."

"That seems an unusually harsh punishment. You can't train with an injury like that." She scoffed, concerned not just for his sake, but also the unfairness of such a decision. "You should protest to someone higher up. This can't be the best way to do things."

"It's fine, Weiss. Leave it." He tugged his cloak tighter over it, concealing it from view. "It doesn't hurt, and a few days missed training isn't so bad. It's not a broken bone despite the sling. That's just to keep me aggravating my shoulder. I'll be back to swinging a sword in a couple of days. In fact…" He sighed. "I came to tell Ruby something and I won't have a chance to tell her later. I don't want to wake her if she's so tired. Could you pass a message on for me?"

Weiss inclined her head. "Of course."

"Please tell her that I shall be occupied for the next few days. Tell her it'll be the same reason as last time – work related. She will understand." Left unsaid was that she wouldn't. He looked at least a little sorry for not telling her. "And tell her that I came to warn her but didn't want to wake her up." He smiled. "Just in case she thinks I didn't try."

"I'll tell her. How long will you be?"

"A couple of days. I can't really say for sure." He grunted and stood, keeping his cloak over the injury, no doubt to stop the gossips going wild. "It's nothing dangerous and Ruby will know that. I just wanted to tell her ahead of time. I'll see you when I'm back, Weiss. Good luck with your studies."

"And to you as well. I shall pass on your message."

* * *

**This chapter was torture to write for some reason. I don't know why.**

**So, Blake has come and dropped some little bits of lore, but also more questions than answers. Ah, that's beginning to become the way of this story, isn't it? I bet people all but forgot about the Grimm by this point. Or assumed I had, lol.**

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**Next Chapter: 1****st**** December**

**P a treon . com (slash) Coeur **


	19. Chapter 19

**So, this chapter is going to be a bit weird. Well, it's more that it's a single big moment split into two chapters – and even a little info dumpy at times – but it's important for both the story and the lore. You'll see why as you read it.**

* * *

**Chapter 19**

* * *

"Huntsmen?" Cinder asked. "That certainly makes sense. I never saw them myself, but then I'd been a Wildmage for but days when I was abandoned here. I'm sorry I couldn't have warned you about those in advance."

"If you didn't know, you didn't know. Do you think it was a bad idea to trust Blake?"

Cinder had been relived to see her back alive and not in custody. She listened patiently through Ruby's re-telling of the trip to Vale, chiming in occasionally with questions but otherwise letting her explain the tenuous agreement with Blake, the encounter with the huntsmen and her frantic escape.

"I'd call it reckless if _trust_ was actually involved, but it's not. At least, I hope not…"

"No." Ruby scowled. "Blake didn't say it explicitly, but she mentioned a risk that people who took down Menagerie might be here in Vale. If that's true, it's not hard to imagine what they'd do to someone they thought was an Arcanist from Menagerie."

"Hunt you down and kill you. And in doing so, revealing themselves to your little watcher."

"Yeah. She didn't want me to be an inside agent – she wanted me to be bait!" Even if Blake didn't mention that, it was obvious from what she didn't say. That whole excuse of her wanting an Arcanist to figure out the truth and be approachable was bull. What Blake really wanted was the traitors to out themselves by killing the weak little Initiate from Menagerie. "I think she has a way to track this Arcanum."

"It would make sense. She found you too quickly during your surge, and from your story the huntsmen – who are professionals at such things – required the bell towers to do so. That she was able to find you at all speaks of some locational or tracking enchantment." Cinder regarded the Arcanum warily. "Can you remove it?"

"I don't think so. I have to know _what_ I'm looking at and all the Arcanums are magic anyway. I'd be worried about removing the things it's _meant_ to have. The brand and the spell that ties it to me. If that's gone, a lot of Arcanists are going to be asking difficult questions as to how."

"And for now, it's not bad for her to be able to locate you."

"Yeah." Ruby sighed. "That too. If she needs me alive, she'll try and keep me alive."

"In that case, I think you're wise not to trust her but still to use her," Cinder said. "Whether you like it or not, if she provides a way to successfully conceal your surges, she is valuable." Her fingers drummed on her knee. "Though be sure she does not think herself _too_ valuable."

Blake _had_ seemed genuinely afraid of her, which only made sense after finding out the person you'd intended to get killed in your place was someone who could pop your head like a grape with the flex of her mind. _She won't betray me for now, but once her goals are met, she might try letting the huntsman take me. They'd be able to…_

It was something to keep in mind.

"Do you know anything about Menagerie?"

Cinder chuckled softly. "I expected that question. Unfortunately, what little I know is what I've read here. It was an island Kingdom whose Collegium was relatively new, historically speaking. Only two hundred and fifty years old."

Only…

"It was heavily, though not entirely, occupied by faunus, and I did read that their Collegium was considered something more _radical_ than the others. No doubt they felt they had something to prove and decided to dabble in things considered… not illegal, but _questionable_ to the other Collegiums."

"Like what…?"

"Again, I don't know. The books made mention of radical and often frowned-upon magical research, but hardly detailed what that might be. They might have been wrong, too. For all I know, it could be biased writing as an attempt to discredit the Menagerie Collegium. Though… given the fact they've been destroyed, I find that unlikely."

"You think they were wiped out because of their research?"

Cinder hesitated to answer for a moment, frowning at the back wall. "I really can't say," she eventually said. "I _want_ to say yes and it's what I personally believe, but what is my opinion worth when I've been locked in here for so long? Unfortunately, this isn't something you can ask anyone in the Collegium either. _You_ are expected to be the foremost expert on all things Menagerie."

"Yeah." Ruby sighed. "So I've got no idea and I don't want to ask Blake because I can't trust what she says."

"The library. It's your only hope – though you may want to wait until you're a little more proficient at literature. Although…" She brought a hand up to her chin. "I wonder if you could bring books in for me to read."

"Smuggle them?"

"No. Too dangerous if you're found. But if the books were of little danger, say, readily available information on Menagerie, or recent history, then I don't see why the Sanctum Guards here would be against you bringing it in. I could do the research for you in that case." Cinder tilted her head. "Your call to make, of course."

"It can't hurt to ask. The guards already know I volunteer here. I'll just say an inmate is bored of the books here and wants some outside – and I'll let them see what books I bring when I do. If they say no, they say no."

As long as the books weren't forbidden, it shouldn't be an issue. Even if they contained detailed information on how to use magic, it wouldn't make a difference with how they couldn't access their powers in the Sanctum.

"Very well. Bring me what you can, and I shall delve deeper. Perhaps there is something yet to be found as to the fall of Menagerie."

"Do you think it's true?" Ruby asked quietly. "Do you think Vale might suffer the same fate?"

"With the complete lack of information I have, I simply don't know." Cinder frowned and looked out the window. "But for what it's worth, I'd say the fact you haven't been attacked despite proudly bearing the mark of Menagerie should be sign enough that if it is planned, those involved are not yet here. You're safe."

For now.

Ruby swallowed.

"I'll get you those books."

/-/

Weiss was bouncing uncharacteristically come morning. To be fair, so was everyone else, in a moment of complete un-noble behaviour. The food hall was filled with excited chatter and people eating so fast they almost rivalled her for barbarism. Almost. Ruby still heaped fried eggs up tall and moaned happily as yolk ran over her lips.

If nothing else, she swore she'd eat like this for the rest of her life.

The fact Weiss didn't tell her off was proof how distracted she was. Cutting into her own pastry, Weiss dipped it in some preserve and munched quickly, constantly looking toward Coco and Yatsuhashi, who would be taking the initiates to their destination once breakfast was over.

Neither of the Wardens were oblivious to the impatient looks they were receiving. The hulking figure of Yatsuhashi ate doggedly with his eyes closed, ignoring it all, while Coco had decided to be a tease and take her sweet time eating, pausing to chat with people and driving everyone wild.

It was finally time to see the various Arcana in action.

"Can you believe the day is finally here?" Weiss whispered. "I can hardly contain myself."

"I thought it was a noble lady's responsibility to always be in control of her emotions?"

"I… ah…" Weiss floundered. "Tell me you're not as excited as I am!"

With all the drama of her being a Wildmage to pick through, it was hard to remember the last time she'd been genuinely excited at the thought of learning magic. Even if the rules didn't apply to her anymore, she still wanted to know more.

Ruby tried for a serious scowl but couldn't manage it. Her excitement broke through.

"I knew it!" Weiss accused.

"Okay, I'm eager to see it as well." She giggled. "I think everyone is here. Well, I _was_ excited for all of them but now that I've seen the Crimson Arcana in action, I'm less interested in that one. It didn't do so well against Jaune."

"I'm sure that's the difference between an apprentice and a master, Ruby. You can't judge an entire Arcana on a single Arcanist. I bet they can do some incredible things."

"Thinking of donning the red cloaks?"

"Me?" Weiss scoffed. "No. Can you imagine that with my hair?"

It was such a stupid reason to not pick an Arcana, yet Ruby did for a second imagine it and had to smother a laugh. "Yeah, that'd be bad. I don't think `fighting Arcana` really fits you either."

"Exactly. Using magic in self-defence is all well and good, but to dedicate your life to wielding it as a weapon? You only get to pick two Arcana. I can't imagine wasting half my potential on something achievable by learning a weapon."

"And it's not like the other Arcana can't fight," Ruby echoed.

"Exactly. While I'm certainly interested to see what they can do, a crimson gemstone isn't gracing _this_ Arcanum." Weiss indicated her coiled-snake Arcanum. Different from the snarling wolf's head of her own. "Other than that, however, I'm open to being impressed by anything. You?"

"Same." The Crimson Arcana sounded a little more reasonable for her – especially since it would take her outside the walls at times – but did she really want to commit herself to combat? Staying in the Collegium forever wasn't a part of her plans, and fighting wouldn't improve her and Yang's lives. "I'm kinda interested in the healing."

"The Emerald Arcana? I admit that's interesting, but I've heard the amount of study required is ridiculous. There's so much bookwork before you get to work on a living creature – which makes sense, I admit. I'd hardly want someone making changes to _my_ body without the proper experience."

And just like that, the Emerald Arcana wasn't sounding too promising. Not just for the book work, but how dangerous it sounded. _I don't have fine control over my magic. I barely have any control. Weiss is right; using Wildmagic on a person's insides is asking for trouble._

"Hm. I don't think the brown arcana sounds any different…"

"Amber," Weiss whispered. "Don't want Coco on our backs again."

Creating new magic sounded interesting and exciting, but Coco had made it clear there was just as much in the way of rules and research involved, and it wasn't like Ruby could follow any of those. It would be like working in a job she couldn't ever do but having to pretend to stand there doing all the steps. Not just boring, but soul destroying.

With three Arcana already down, Ruby bit her lip. What if there _weren't_ any Arcana that fit her?

"Alright. Alright." Coco stood, laughing loudly. "You can all stop glaring at me now, it's time-"

Chairs scraped back. Everyone stood.

"Huh. Looks like you're all eager to get started." Her head cocked to the side and she smirked. "Ah, to be young and full of energy. Doesn't it bring the nostalgia back, Yatsu? Were we ever so young and free-spirited?"

"You make us sound old now," the giant of a man said, standing. He addressed them. "We shall soon take you to the orientation display. Coco has a few words to say first, however."

"I do?"

Yatsuhashi sighed and whispered something into her ear.

"Oh, right! Ahem. So, we'll soon be going to orientation. This is an all-day event, so there won't be any lessons afterwards. The Arcanists are giving up their free time to display for you. As such, you're expected to be polite and attentive. They'll be doing demonstrations and answering questions for about six hours – and trust me, there aren't _that many_ Arcana, so don't rush around or you'll miss things. Take the time to watch the display, ask questions, listen and have a good think. It's not a race to run from one section to another."

"What else?" she asked, tapping her chin. "Ah, yes. There won't be any specific order of things, so if one display is too crowded, you should go and check on another and then come back. Yatsu and I aren't going to be leading you from one to another. It'll all be outside, and you'll be free to walk from Arcana to Arcana as you wish. Finally, keep in mind that you're not making any decisions now. This is to get you thinking about what appeals to you so you can start tailoring your lesson and study plans to that end. You're free to change your mind and encouraged to do so at this stage."

"That same option won't be free to you after you choose an Arcana," Yatsuhashi interrupted. "Once you accept to study an Arcana, you are locked into it. Do not make any decisions lightly." He grunted. "In fact, do not make any today at all. Decisions made in haste end poorly."

"Questions?" Coco asked.

"What if we miss an Arcana?" someone asked.

"If you miss a display, you miss the display. You'll probably be able to ask an Arcanist from that Arcana to talk to you about it another day if you're polite. Or you can read up on it in your free time. It's not like the information is hidden. Doing it all at once like this is just convenient for the Collegium." Coco waited for the man to nod and put his hand down. "Anything else?"

Ruby raised her hand. "Is every Arcana available to any student?"

"There aren't any restrictions on gender, ability, age or such if that's what you mean," Coco replied. "If you're hyperactive and can't concentrate, then the Amber Arcana probably isn't the best bet for you, but they're not going to turn you away. Mastering any Arcana is possible, but you might be more physically or mentally inclined to one over the other."

"In the end, however," Yatsuhashi said, "The choice is yours."

"What he said," Coco jerked her thumb in his direction. "Pick what appeals to you, not what you think will be easiest. Anything else?"

There didn't seem to be any more questions, or rather if there were, they were pushed down by the eagerness to see everything happening. Coco _still_ waited another minute or two, making Weiss grumble under her breath.

"Looks like we're all sorted. Alright, kids. Follow us. And remember, best behaviour."

Every initiate crowded in behind Coco and Yatsuhashi, leaving Weiss and Ruby to take up the rear. Petty rivalries were forgotten, even Malneux pushing past her without so much as a sneer, eyes focused ahead. They were brought out of the food hall and turned quickly to the left, wrapping around the side of the school building and then going behind it, off toward where the individual Arcana buildings were.

_Do we get to visit each building? That could be fun._

The answer to that became a quick no, as the large fields behind the academy building were filled with numerous ringed off areas with coloured pennants Ruby assumed represented each Arcana. Robed figures stood within and around them.

Those in the centre were protected by rope-barriers from which hung more coloured scraps of cloth, forming a barrier to keep initiates out. They must have been the ones doing the displays. There were other Arcanists around the outside, however. They might have been to prevent anyone getting close or to answer questions.

_It's like the apprentice fairs,_ she thought. The annual event held outside the walls where youngsters would line up and be judged by various craftsmen and, if they were lucky, might be taken on as indentured apprentices, living and serving their master in a position akin to a slave, but with the promise of learning a valuable skill at the end of a period of service, usually ten years.

For those living in the slums, it was one of the few ways out and the apprentice fairs were hotly contested. Not that anyone ever thought the scrawny and boyish girl who looked as frail as a twig worthy of being chosen. Every year so far had been her left among the rejected, skulking dejectedly away back to the slums. It got worse as you got older, because the masters wanted young and attentive students.

_Forget it. They don't matter anymore. I'm here._

"Get at it then," Coco called out. "But don't cause any trouble or _we'll_ be the ones getting told off – and believe me, I'll make sure I get my revenge."

A few of the Arcanists nearby smiled indulgently at that. As well over a hundred initiates surged forward, they held their ground, smiling happily and welcoming the interest and barrages of questions. Few of the Arcanists she'd met before had been so patient. It made sense they'd send their most friendly, however. Even if this was the Collegium, it was still an apprentice fair in some ways. They wanted to attract the best and brightest students.

"Which should we go see?" Weiss asked nervously.

"All of them," Ruby answered.

"Obviously! But I meant first!" Weiss' anger barely lasted, and she took Ruby's sleeve, dragging her bodily to the least populated display. "Let's just avoid the crowds. We'll get more one-to-one time with the Arcanists that way."

That sounded like a good idea. There were plenty of Arcana areas available, but the rest of the initiates mostly did as expected and ran to the closest – or the flashiest, which happened to be the Crimson Arcana where two Arcanists were duking it out in a duel. Ruby had to admit she was interested in that, more to see who won than to join it. _They're showing off as best they can, and the combat Arcana is always going to look the most fun._

Weiss took them through the weaving rings toward the back, which were naturally much less populated. There were a few initiates who had the same idea, but where the Crimson Arcana at the front had around sixty people tightly packed around it, the one they made their way to had only eight. It just so happened to be the Emerald Arcana, which had a much smaller display with them allowed quite close to the display.

"Welcome, initiates." A large man with a round belly and a friendly smile greeted them. He reminded her of an innkeeper who had spent too much time with his food. "Always glad to see interest in the lifegiving Arcana. My name is Ambrose, master Arcanist of the Emerald Arcana." He flashed his Arcanum, which featured only the one gemstone. Obviously, it was green. "Unlike many others, I've chosen to dedicate myself to only the single Arcana, making me a master in the art that few can match. Of course, that also makes me the best to talk to aspiring Emerald Arcanists as well!"

It probably did. He was passionate, outgoing and much nicer than the other Arcanists they'd dealt with. Again, it was all intended to draw them in, but Ruby could admit it worked.

Arcanist Ambrose had them wait around the roped-off area as they brought in an injured Newblood who they introduced and explained had suffered a wound in training. The Newblood was made to sit on the table in the centre and show them a bloody but not-too-deep gash in his side. Had it been deeper, they'd have likely healed it and not made him wait.

As Ambrose talked about the wound and how it was but a light representation of what they usually faced, another Emerald Arcanist came up and held her hands around it. Chanting under her breath, she brought forth a faint cloud of green light that must have been ice-cold to the touch, for the Newblood hissed sharply and shivered.

Ruby watched with awe as the wound slowly but visibly knitted itself shut.

"And just like that," Ambrose said, "This Newblood is back on his feet and ready to go."

Ruby joined in the applause alongside Weiss and the other spectators. It wasn't overly flashy, but seeing that happen before her eyes was still, for lack of a better term, magical. _I wonder if I can heal. Theoretically, I should be able to, but making a human body work again must be harder than just hurting someone in the first place._

"Now," Ambrose said. "Give unto me your questions!"

"Do the spells change based on the wound?" Weiss asked quickly.

"Indeed they do, my dear. A light wound like this requires a light healing spell to knit the flesh together. A deeper wound might need a spell to clean it first, then another to ensure there are no contaminants in the blood. If bone or muscle is cut, those should be healed _before_ the flesh is, and finally you would finish it with the same spell shown here."

"Does that take long?" someone else asked. "Is it slow? What if you don't have time?"

"A fine question, young man. There are times when the patient does not have time, and in those cases, there are greater spells that can combine the effects – alternatively, we can employ multiple Arcanists to handle each individual aspect at the same time, working together on someone. It is more a risk to do it all at once, but an experienced Arcanist such as myself can do so safely."

"However, I only would if the patient required it. Slow and steady is preferable where the life is not at risk." He laughed jovially. "Sadly, we can't show you anything like that here because it would require leaving some poor soul in agony just to show off! That, or we would have to harm someone or an animal ourselves, and there are few among us who would wish to inflict pain just to make for an exciting show. Our work may seem simple and unassuming here, but if you should walk our halls, you will see just how exciting it can be. Stressful at times," he admitted honestly, "But there is no Arcana more satisfying to the soul than our own."

_I wish I could do that,_ Ruby thought, clapping at his words. A few more questions were asked about how they trained, what it was like being a part of the Emerald Arcana and how long it took to study. Ambrose answered each quickly and with confidence, and even invited them to speak with him again at the Emerald Arcana facility should they ever wish to know more.

"We're not so closed and secretive as the other Arcana," he said. "Should you ever be badly injured, you will be coming to see us anyway. Ask if you can see me. If I'm free, I'll always be happy to talk further about us."

Weiss and her left with bright smiles.

"He was friendly," Weiss said.

"Hm. I liked him. I think they're sending people like that."

"Oh, I'm sure," she replied, "But that was still interesting. I may even take him up on his offer to visit the Emerald Arcana again. It only makes sense to be sure of what we chose, right?"

"Sure. Tell me if you do. I'll come along."

With the display at the Crimson Arcana ending, Weiss suggested they double back and watch it now that almost everyone else had. The plan worked and there was only them and two others remaining. They watched as a spar took place between two Arcanists – and they were much better at it than Malneux's stooge, dashing about the arena casting bright and flamboyant spells that churned up the ground, launched fireballs, created barriers of ice and more.

It may have been staged. It was hard to tell, and they were definitely going fast enough that it might not have been, but having grown up around life or death fights, she knew that a _real fight_ was often finished in a matter of seconds. Even Jaune and Leon had only fought for about two minutes tops, and that was how it usually went. If one side proved stronger, the other would either lose or find a way to escape. This bout went on for a solid ten minutes.

Still, it was exciting to watch. Ruby and Weiss applauded them when they were done.

"What does the Crimson Arcana do?" Ruby asked when the woman in charge offered to answer questions. "I know they train to fight, but _who_ do they fight?"

"A promising question, cadet. All too many want to learn _how_ to fight and don't ask that. I'll tell you what we're not – soldiers. The Collegium does not get involved in warfare. Instead, we act as guards and protectors of other Arcanists, and the first line of defence against Rogue Arcanists who would imperil good and innocent people. We also fight the Grimm whenever they might encroach on our lands. Though we fight, ours is always to protect, never to attack."

Except for Wildmages, who she didn't mention but would have lumped in with Rogue Arcanists.

The Crimson Arcana was out of the question. Luckily, Weiss didn't seem bothered with her suggestion to check out another one. The Amber Arcana were talking animatedly to enraptured students as they used magic to animate a statue. Already knowing a little about that from Coco, Weiss and Ruby made their way over to a pavilion surrounded by dark blue flags instead.

Arthur Watts, the first official Arcanist she met and the one to enrol her, had sported a gem of that colour. More than that, the Grand Arcanist had a blue gem. Red, blue, white and black from what she recalled.

"Welcome to the Azure Arcana," an elderly man greeted them and a few others, spreading his arms wide. "The Arcana of Secrets."

Ruby's interest was piqued. "Secrets?"

"Quite so. Where other Arcana interest themselves with learning new spells, the Azure Arcana focused on deciphering the world's mysteries – answering questions unanswered and delving deep into the workings of magic itself."

"Isn't that what the Amber Arcana does?" Weiss asked.

"Not quite, young lady. The Amber Arcana does indeed seek to understand magic, but only for the sake of creating new magic. We seek greater understanding – to further the knowledge of humanity. Where does magic come from? Is it a finite resource? What determines whether a person can or cannot use magic? There are so many secrets in the world that have gone undiscovered, and it is our responsibility, and our passion, to discover all of those."

"What spells do you do?" someone asked.

"We're not quite as outgoing with our magics as the other Arcana. Our spells tend to be a collection of what is most useful, so we don't limit ourselves to any one facet." The man chuckled. "That said, I'm sure you're all interested in what makes the Arcana special, so I will say that we have a speciality for spells focused around discovery, tracking, identifying and revealing both individuals and information. We are explorers first and foremost, always on the forefront of new discoveries regarding our world."

The display they showed off was much less exciting than the others, at least visually. The Arcanist had an initiate in the crowd write a number on a piece of paper and hide it behind his back, then used a spell to read out what that was from a distance. It wasn't big or showy, but Ruby leaned forward even so.

"That's a little disappointing," Weiss muttered. "I expected more."

For once, Ruby couldn't agree.

_That could be useful. If you can see things that are hidden, you could spy on someone easily. And if you can make yourself see far away, you can know when the guards are missing. It's the perfect Arcana for sneaking around with._

That likely wasn't their intent, but it was how she saw it. A good Arcana for a thief.

"Do you get to choose what you explore?" Ruby asked.

Weiss looked surprised at her interest. The kindly old man looked pleased, eyes sparkling.

"Within reason, yes," he said. "There are rare occurrences where we might ask people to focus on a specific task, but those are very rare and mostly crisis situations – imagine, for instance, that a magical earthquake was ravaging the land. We might be ordered to pool resources to investigate that, but such hasn't happened in my lifetime."

"So, I could pick what I wanted to focus on?"

"For the most part, yes. Our members are encouraged to be individualistic. They may work in groups when common interests align, but more often than not, we work alone. The only exception might be if you wished to research something potentially dangerous – like raising the dead, or how to _remove magic_ from Arcanists. Such would be considered dangerous research and you would be told to stop." The man leaned in. "If you wish to know whether an interest of yours would be allowed, feel free to ask me now."

Wildmages.

That… That probably wouldn't be allowed, but it was what she wanted to look into. The Azure Arcana probably had all the best sources of information – making it the quickest route to understanding what she was and what being a Wildmage meant. More than that, if she got to work mostly alone, then no one would question what she was doing. She couldn't say that, though.

There was another thing she wanted answers too, however. And quickly.

"Menagerie," she said instead. "I want to know why Menagerie fell."

If the Grimm were involved as Blake said, what went wrong, who was behind it and whether the same might befall Vale. The Crimson Arcana might be the ones to face those people, but only if an Arcana like the Azure found them first.

_And at the same time, I could look into Wildmages and find out what's happening there. I bet these guys know more about Wildmages than the other Arcana._

"Ahhh." The Arcanist smiled sympathetically. His eyes moved to her Arcanum. "I can see why that would be important to you. I can tell you now that we would happily accept such a direction. Our own Arcanists are looking into this as we speak, but more are always welcome."

"If I did," she said, "Would I be able to leave and go to Menagerie?"

"Once you were granted a gemstone, yes. All Arcanists who reach that level of mastery are allowed to come and go as they wish, so long as you make the Collegium aware – both your current Collegium and, if one exists at your destination, you would need to register there as well. For Menagerie, that would no longer be an issue." He smiled. "I see the hunger in your eyes, my dear. Perhaps I shall have the pleasure of teaching you in the Azure Archives."

"You might," Ruby said.

Weiss drew her aside after. "I didn't realise you wanted to find out about Menagerie," she said, almost sadly. "I never considered it…"

"I didn't bring it up," Ruby said with a little shrug. "Don't worry about it."

"Do you really want to be an Azure Arcanist?"

"I don't know. We've only seen a few Arcana. There are loads more." Some of them were of particular interest. "I want to see what the white and black ones do." Find out what the Grand Arcanist had up his sleeve.

Blake flashed through her mind.

"Oh, and the Grey Arcana. Or whatever it's called. The dark grey one."

"Grey?" Weiss asked. "I've never heard of a Grey Arcana." She turned and looked around, taking in the various coloured flags that dotted the field. "And I don't _see_ any grey flags either. Are you sure you didn't mistake a black or white gemstone for grey?"

She hadn't. Blake's had been misty and dark grey.

"I might have done," she lied. "Let's go see what the white Arcana is, then."

Weiss was only too happy to oblige.

/-/

The pointed cough drew the Grand Arcanist's eyes away from the window. He turned to regard the woman stood behind him, as stern as ever, bright green eyes flashing behind her spectacles.

"Glynda." He smiled. "My apologies. I was distracted by all the excitement. You know how it is when the Arcana finally have a chance to compete for the new intake of initiates. So much energy and passion in one place. It's hard not to be drawn into it."

The way she rolled her eyes said it was his problem and his alone.

"We found our Arcanist, sir."

"Truly? You found Tyrian?" Ozpin smiled. "Wonderful. Where is he?"

"Dead."

The smile fell. "I see." The Grand Arcanist drew back his chair and sat. "That is regrettable. I assume that he chose to fight you. I'd prayed it would not come to that."

"He didn't fight us, sir. He was dead when we arrived."

Ozpin went still. "Tyrian was one of the finest of the Crimson Arcana. Though I know not why he chose to go rogue, he would not fall prey to some bandit or beast in the wilderness. Was that where you found him? How did he die?"

"He was in the outskirts, sir. We were able to trace his Arcane Brand thanks to his signature in the Scriptorium. That persisted, but when we found him, he was already dead. It appears he tried to make a home for himself there. A small hut. It was destroyed. Burned down. I expect by himself in efforts to defeat whatever attacked him."

"And that, Glynda?"

"Not enough evidence, Ozpin. The Guards noticed tracks, however."

"Tracks?"

"Both human and animal. The human tracks may have come later, however. His Arcanum was missing and that could only be taken away if he had died. Scavengers, no doubt. The animal tracks…" Glynda hesitated. "I don't want to say Grimm."

"And yet…?"

"No mere wolf or bear could kill a Crimson Arcanist."

"I see." Ozpin linked his fingers together and balanced his elbows upon his desk. "A tragedy, then, but one that ties up our loose ends. Grimm have always existed in the outskirts, we know this. Tyrian, for whatever reason, must have let his guard down. Perhaps exhaustion over trying to evade us. Whatever the case, he was unprepared and fell to the Grimm."

It was an unsatisfying conclusion, as accurate as it might be.

"Do you really think a single Grimm could kill him, Grand Arcanist?"

"My heart says no, Glynda, but my mind tells me even I could fall to a pickpocket if I were to be caught off-guard. It could well be that Tyrian was attacked while asleep, at which point all the knowledge in the world matters little."

"Or he was attacked by too many. There have been rumours of activity, sir…"

"Rumours, Glynda?"

"From the guards in the farms. With your permission, I wish to investigate further."

"Granted. Naturally. Please keep me informed of any developments."

"Thank you, sir. Also, I heard the bell towers while I was outside the walls. Has our little problem been dealt with?"

Ozpin sighed. "I'm afraid not. It was indeed our Wildmage again, but the huntsmen were unable to capture her thanks to the intervention of _another_ Rogue Arcanist. One that they claim lacked Arcanum or Brand or any distinguishing characteristics."

"Another?" Glynda huffed. "What Arcanist would work alongside a Wildmage?"

"A desperate one, I fear. We did come away with some small information, however. The huntsman who engaged the Wildmage said that her face was masked, any detail all but impossible to make out in the dark and with spell fire flying around, but the voice and figure suggested a female. Not a young man as first thought."

Glynda stiffened. Though he didn't say it, it had been her to say it was a boy. "I may have been mistaken, sir."

"It's no concern. The huntsman agreed the difference was not immediately obvious. Only when he straddled the Wildmage and heard her voice – before the intervention of an Arcanist, that was. There was also another, though neither Arcanist nor Wildmage. A street urchin similarly concealed and hooded who fought to distract the second huntsman."

"A relative?" Glynda pondered. "Someone who doesn't understand the danger, clearly." She sighed angrily. "We should have the huntsmen seek to capture this person if possible. They may prove a useful hostage for the Wildmage's surrender."

"My thoughts exactly. I've already passed such instructions on. And to deal with this new Arcanist. They have made their allegiance in this matter clear and shall be dealt with as such. One who can shirk the Arcane Brand is too dangerous to let live as it is…"

"I agree." Glynda nodded. "Very well then. With your permission, I shall take out a new escort and begin scouting the outskirts. I'd like to take a few of the Crimson Arcana with me if that is acceptable. If the Grimm are active, I would prefer we were prepared."

"Take what you need, Glynda. Return to us safe."

"Thank you."

As the door closed behind her, the Grand Arcanist turned back to the window and watched over the orientation display in the distance. Young initiates taking their first step upon the road to becoming Arcanists. It had been a long time since he'd stood in their shoes. A long time indeed.

"How times were easier back then…"

* * *

**The second half of the reveal of Arcanas will take place next chapter. While I did initially want them all to be in this one, I quickly realised how ridiculous that would be – having to squeeze each one down to about 500 words at most. It feels more organic to give them each some proper time.**

**So far we have (at least explained):**

**Crimson Arcana, Azure Arcana, Emerald Arcana and the Amber Arcana.**

* * *

**Next Chapter: 8****th**** December**

**P a treon . com (slash) Coeur **


	20. Chapter 20

**So, I overused the word "Arcan-" last chapter (Arcana, Arcanum, Arcane Brand, Arcane Academy). I've mentioned before how I wish I'd thought of that at the start and cut down. I'll be trying to say it less from now on, both for my sanity and yours. **

**I might just be switching Arcana out for the colour or even referring to it as a "School of Magic". Yes, it's a little ret-conny, but meh. There will also be instances where it's just removed – like people casually referring to everyone from a certain Arcana by the colour. E.g. "He joined the Crimson." or "He studies with the Crimson." Rather than saying "Crimson Arcana" each time. **

**As mentioned on other stories, no updates on Christmas week from 23****rd**** Dec – 29****th**** inclusive. Updates continue from normal after that.**

* * *

**Chapter 20**

* * *

"Welcome to the White Arcana," the woman standing tall and imposing at the front of the display announced. Dressed in long and flowing robes of purest white edged with gold, she cut a beautiful and elegant figure. It was as much due to the colour as anything else, white offering much more in the way of a solid base for decoration than robes of red, blue or black. "We represent order, stability and diplomacy. While other Arcana strive to attain mastery of grandiose spells and fickle secrets, we focus on maintaining and protecting the order of our world, and of our Kingdom."

Weiss cocked her head to the side, seemingly as confused as Ruby was. She asked, "What does that mean in terms of magic, Lady Arcanist?"

"You're asking what spells we learn? What benefits we promise to our members?" The woman laughed. "We do not limit ourselves as those of the Crimson and Emerald would. With us, you might learn the secrets to binding a foe…"

In the display area, a man whispered a mantra and thrust a hand out toward his opponent, another volunteer from the White Arcana. Strands of white light shot out from his hand, expanding quickly into a woven net of pure light that pinned the man to the floor, the edges of the net binding with the ground.

"You might also learn how to escape from such."

The captive closed his eyes and spoke beneath his voice. The bonding points of the net shattered into motes of light, allowing him to stand tall once more.

"You may learn protective magics of the most powerful nature."

The first sent a fireball at the second, which must have been more a traditional spell than one reserved for the Crimson Arcana. Regardless, the second summoned a shield of shimmering white light in the air that didn't reflect, but instead dissipated the magic, causing it to ripple and waft harmlessly into the air as steam.

"But more importantly," the one in charge said, "You will learn how to avoid such confrontations. Entreat with important individuals, sway the course of politics and work toward a universal goal of preserving our way of life." She held her arms out wide. "For the White Arcana does not focus itself solely on the collection of power or knowledge, but the achievement of a goal."

"Keeping things as they are," Ruby said, bored. "Is that all it is?"

"All?" the woman asked, one eyebrow raised. "I admit it must sound uninteresting to those who live in peace because of our work but know that the Treaty that allows the Collegium to exist in the first place is due to us. The laws that protect us from being conscripted into conflicts were our creation. It is the White that maintains peace between Collegiums, that monitors and organises action against Rogue Arcanists and much more you cannot learn until you are members. Without us, it is no exaggeration to say that the Collegium would not exist."

"I thought the Crimson Arcana dealt with Rogues," Weiss said.

"They deal with combat, my dear. They are valuable and trusted allies who thrive upon the field of battle, but it is we who direct them."

"Meaning they're your stooges," Ruby said.

The Arcanist frowned. "It is not a leader-follower dynamic but a trusted alliance between Arcana as we fight toward a common goal. If it helps, you might think of the Crimson as the ones who deal directly with criminals, while we root them out in the first place. Of course," she said, smiling brightly, "We have other claims to our fame – for instance, did you know that the White was the _first_ that our current Grand Arcanist obtained?"

Weiss' eyes widened. "He was White first?"

"Indeed. Grand Arcanist Ozpin is the greatest of us – and he began as a humble White Arcanist."

"What did he do after?" Ruby asked. "If you're allowed to say…"

"It's common history, my girl. The Grand Arcanist focused his attention upon the white until mastery and, like many of our brethren, chose after to branch into the Crimson Arcana. White and Red is one of the most common dual combinations in the Collegium. Our work is similar and naturally compliments."

"Because once you spend years rooting out rogues, you start to want to fight them as well," Weiss guessed.

"That's right. We teach self-defence and combat as a matter of necessity, but it can sometimes be frustrating to have to wait for the Crimson to react. The most passionate of us would rather wade in ourselves." The woman flashed her Arcanum, and true to form she had two gems – one white and the other red. "The white meshes well with other colours, too. Healers with the Emerald and trackers with the Azure."

An Arcana dedicated _yet again_ to dealing with Wildmages was out of the question. Ruby feigned interest as Weiss asked more questions, but quickly tossed it away. Was it really necessary to have _two_ schools of magic dedicated to the task? On top of the Sanctum itself? The amount of resources they were throwing at it was staggering.

"Is it just dealing with Rogues?" Weiss asked.

"Not at all. I mentioned diplomacy before and that's a large part of what we do. It's not uncommon for White Arcanists to be sent along with nobles and even royalty, and there hasn't been a peace treaty or alliance in the last century that wasn't watched over and accounted by one of our members. We act as mediators in conflict, speaking with White Arcanists of other Collegium to avoid heightened emotions ruining a treaty. We also act as adjudicators in matters of state that the King does not with to get involved in. We are neutral in such matters, so our word goes. Naturally, we also have spells to assist us in that, from simple scrying to truth-telling."

"You can interrogate people?" Ruby blurted out.

"No, no. Nothing of the sort." Laughing, the woman missed Ruby's obvious relief. If _she_ could have told the truth, then the Grand Arcanist could have as well when she lied to him. "It's more that we can, with a small ritual, cause an object to glow different colours as someone speaks degrees of lies, truth or half-truth. It's a slow process and not much use in the field, but if there is a big legal case or dispute between noble families, we can be called on as ultimate purveyors of justice."

"I thought the Collegium didn't involve itself with noble affairs."

"We don't. We do not _dispatch_ justice, only enable it. Even should we find a noble guilty of a crime, it is up for the other nobility and the King to punish them. More often than not, we're used as a threat," she admitted. "If two noble families are feuding and one believes the other is lying about the cause, they might suggest bringing in a White Arcanist. That's usually enough to convince the other side to stop."

"Interesting," Weiss said, standing just a little taller. "It sounds like a versatile Arcana."

"We pride ourselves on that. In an ideal world, everyone would have a grounding in the white before attempting any other school – that way, we could be assured that every Arcanist works towards the goal of preserving our way of life and the peace."

"Yeah," Ruby failed to hide her lack of enthusiasm. "That sounds like fun."

The Arcanist frowned at her. "It's not for everyone, I will admit. There are some who prefer the immediate gratification of magical prowess of large spells."

"Don't be rude, Ruby," Weiss snapped. "I happen to think it a marvellous goal."

"Then perhaps we shall see you don the white robes, my dear. I hope so."

A fresh batch of Initiates came up to listen, pushing Weiss and Ruby away as the Arcanist smiled and began her speech from the beginning again, gesturing toward the ring where the two volunteers started anew the demonstrations. There were other White Arcanists around the ring explaining the same to other Initiates. It didn't look as popular as the Crimson, but it was getting interest.

Weiss' too.

"Don't tell me you're actually thinking of it," Ruby whined.

"What? Joining the White Arcana? I don't see why not – it looks versatile and cerebral. More than just using magic to solve all problems. And working toward protecting the Collegium and the Kingdom. Doesn't that sound exciting?"

"No?"

"Maybe not for you but I happen to think it an admirable goal."

Admirable wasn't how she'd put it. The White Arcana basically wanted to keep things as they were, which meant the nobles lording it over the merchants lording it over the farmers lording it over the Dredgers. Vale might have been a great place to live if you weren't at the bottom, but once you were, you got to see how much of a shithole it could be.

_I don't want to keep things like they are. Vale should change._

For that alone she'd dislike them, but knowing they were also chipping in on hunting down Wildmages? Fuck 'em. "Don't join them, Weiss. They're stupid."

"Ruby! I didn't criticise your interest in the Azure and I could say much the same about them! Secrets for the sake of secrets. Mysteries and whatnot. Foolishness."

Ruby hunched her shoulders defensively. "Don't you want to know why magic works? Don't you want to know where it comes from? Why only certain people can use it and why some people become Arcanists and others become Wildmages?" The burning questions in her gut. "There's so much to find out!"

"Why bother?" Weiss asked haughtily. "Magic _does_ work. Some people are _born_ with it and others aren't. I don't need to know how or why it works to use it, and I don't see the appeal in dedicating my life to the pursuit of so selfish a goal. I want to look back on my life and say I worked toward something I could be proud of, like protecting Vale and the Collegium."

"Protecting it from what?" Ruby hissed. "Itself!?"

"If that's what it takes. Why are you so angry? Am I not _allowed_ to have a differing opinion?"

"I… I just…"

Ruby's words ran dry and she looked down at the floor. Really, what right did she have to try and make Weiss do what she wanted? Just the urge to not have her as an enemy. But even if Weiss joined the White or Crimson Arcana, it wasn't like she'd instantly be a foe. It wouldn't matter so long as she stayed hidden.

"Sorry," she grumbled. "I was… passionate?"

It must have been the right thing to say because Weiss' face softened. "I guess I am as well," she admitted. "It's the mood getting to us both." With a smile, she laughed it off. "I suppose it was inevitable we'd have differing opinions – we're not much alike. Even if we do end up in different Arcana, however." Weiss looked nervous. "Would we still be friends?"

"Yes. Of course!"

Weiss smiled, relieved. "Then it matters little, doesn't it? Let's just enjoy ourselves and see what the rest of the show has to offer. How about the Black? Do you think it's the opposite of the white?"

"Not unless they stand for war, chaos and Rogue Arcanists…"

/-/

The Black Arcana did _not_ in fact deal with chaos or war or fighting at all. After the tension of the White, it was almost a relief to find that the Black School of Magic was focused on something rather simple.

"You make stuff?"

"That's right." The man who led them _into_ the display area was jovial and excited. Unlike the others, there weren't Arcanists casting spells on one another and Initiates were allowed to walk around the tables, upon which lay numerous trinkets. Rings, bucklers, quills and more. "Our focus is how to imbue objects with spells, either tying spells into them, enhancing them or adding other benefits."

"Fascinating," Weiss said. And it was. Not in any grand way, but curious and interesting enough for Ruby to nod along. "Can you give us some examples?"

"Of course. Take this for instance." He picked up a quill and a pot of ink. Without unscrewing the ink, he began to write on a parchment, and black markings were drawn behind. "A quill that does not require itself to be dipped in ink."

Ruby stared at the pot. "The spell is on the pot…"

"Oh? You have a good eye, Miss. Or should I say a good nose?" He laughed at his own joke. "It's actually a bit of both, but you're right to say the more _complicated_ spell is on the pot." He unscrewed the cap and lifted it up, showing a small sigil on the underneath. "This is tied to the spell on the quill, and acts as a conduit of sorts. It recreates the act of dipping so you don't have to. Naturally, the ink does run out, but it's more convenient to refill it than dip every thirty seconds."

"How hard is it to put spells on items?" Ruby asked. If her Wildmagic could be used to do it, she could give Yang ways to protect herself, not to mention have a veritable arsenal of equipment for herself.

"Much harder than it looks, I'm afraid."

Crap.

"You need to account for mass, intent and a hundred other variables. For instance, in this case the question of how much ink you want to come through, how to make it stop when pressure is removed from the quill and how to prevent it spilling. Another example of our work you'll be more used to it your bathrooms."

"The automatic privy?" Weiss said. "You created those?"

"Not me specifically, but it was a joint venture of our Arcana. Not our most glamorous work, I'll admit, but certainly one of the most appreciated across both the Collegium, Vale and even the other Kingdoms. No more lugging copper basins and heating up the water for a bath."

_We still do that in the slums._ Dirty river water laden with waste heated over charcoal or wood. It was a slow and arduous process.

"What happens to all that water after it's used?" Ruby asked. "I've seen it go down the hole in the bottom and then through a spell of some sort. What happens to it?"

"We keep things as natural as we can. There's a secondary outlet that the spells all connect to, which pumps the dirty water downriver. That way it can wash out to the ocean and isn't wasted or sent to flood land."

Ruby's excited faded. "You dump it in the river…?"

"Of course. It's where the waste would go _without_ our intervention. People would wash and relieve themselves in the river, or dirty water would be poured out onto the streets – again finding its way back to the river. We're not tampering with anything."

She supposed he had a point. It wasn't like they were making it worse…

"Wouldn't that make the water unsafe?" Weiss asked.

"Oh, we don't pump it out _here_," the Arcanist said. "The river water flowing through the Collegium is crystal clear. We bypassed the Upper and Merchant's Districts so the water stays clear there as well. The spell work starts at the end of the Merchant's District."

Meaning that the river was clean and clear water all the way to the Slums, then became full of waste and shit and everything else. Ruby's eyes hardened. If it weren't for bleeding off her Surges, she had the feeling she might have lost it right there.

_I always thought the river was unusually mucky. It's because all the waste from the three Districts above is pumped into it right at the point it starts for us. We're drinking and bathing in their used water._

No wonder so many people got sick.

"Our work is focused on making life easier for everyone," the Arcanist said, missing her reaction. "That way, we both advance our craft and remind people why we should be valued. We also earn money for the Collegium, making us the wealthiest School of Magic. Though we don't flaunt that much," he said, laughing. "To be honest, most of the lien goes right back into our other projects. We're a busy lot."

"It sounds interesting. Doesn't it, Ruby?"

"Yeah." Ruby tried not to scowl. "Interesting."

"The Black Arcana is often a secondary one," the man admitted. "We don't get many Initiates, but we do get plenty of people coming here for their second gemstone. The Crimson like to make weapons and armour to help them, while the Azure like their own tools. It's the same for the White and Amber, and while we do make some healing trinkets for the Emerald, we naturally donate those to the healers free of charge. They help look after us all, so it doesn't feel right to make demands of them."

"That's generous of you." Weiss said. "I don't think the Black will be my first choice, but I might consider it for a secondary. It sounds versatile."

"It is the _most_ versatile, my lady. There's not an Arcana existing that couldn't benefit from our magic in some way. You're limited only by your imagination and the hard work you're willing to put in. The Arcanum are also our work," he said, pointing to their crests. "Though hundreds of years before _my_ time, naturally."

The sigils and the brands. Likely the bell towers that had detected her surges were the work of the Black Arcana as well, and they might have been custom build to find her. Could the Sanctum also have been created by them?

If so, that mean the Crimson, White _and _Black were her natural enemies.

_Is every single school of magic going to be working against me? Even the Azure would probably use their skills to find me and the Amber would develop spells to work against Wildmages. The only one left is the Emerald, but I bet they'd refuse to heal me if they knew._

Ruby leaned back, though couldn't quite help but to stare longingly at the various trinkets. Her fingers were itchy and not in a good way. _No. If they can put spells on those, they can put some way to track where they go on as well._

She'd have to resist the urge. For now.

It was worth looking into later depending on how valuable some of those things might be.

"What did you think of that one?" Weiss asked when they moved away, letting fresh Initiates excitedly take their places. "I didn't think I'd find it as interesting as I did."

"It looks like fun…"

"But?"

What could she say? That she hated it because of one man's uncaring nature toward the slums? He was hardly alone in acting that way. "But not for my first," she deflected. "I think it's something fun to do _after_ I master a different school."

Weiss agreed with a smile. "I feel the same way. In fact, I would wager a lot of people choose that as their second for monetary reasons. You use one Arcana for something you wish to do and the second to either earn lien or bolster your first. Although, the work does look a little menial. It's interesting, but I'm not sure what my family would think of it…"

"Why?" Ruby asked. "It's making magical stuff. How is that not impressive?"

"I shouldn't be surprise you would show interest in such _peasant_ tasks, Rose."

Ruby turned with a sigh. "Malneux…"

"That's _Lord Malneux_ to you, Rose," Martyn sneered. "And allow me to explain for Lady Schnee what she was trying to say. The crafting of trinkets, no matter how pretty or functional, is work best left to the peasants. Of course, they can't hope to craft artefacts like the Black Arcana, but even so, such is best left to… lesser nobles." He adopted a surprised expression. "Oh, never mind. Perhaps you're perfect for the role after all."

"Was that supposed to be witty?"

"What are you doing here, Lord Malneux?" Weiss asked, stepping a little in front of Ruby.

_Hey. I can look after myself…_

"I'm here to peruse the various Arcana, much like yourself. Why I have deigned to lower myself to speak to someone like Rose, however, is to pass on an ultimatum." He stood taller and tugged on the mantle around his neck and shoulders, a length of cloth that reached down to mid-bicep on either side of his Initiate Robes.

Weiss stared. "You've already selected your focus? How reckless."

"Not so, Lady Schnee. My path was one I had chosen long before attending the Collegium. My father was Red and White, and so I shall be the same and bring honour to the family. Regardless, my message is to Rose, not you." He fixed his eyes on Ruby. "Stay out of the Red and White Arcana. I have little interest breathing the same air as you and would rather you not sully it."

"We could breathe different air," Ruby said. "All you need to do is suffocate and die."

"How crass. Regardless, it's clear you and I will not see eye to eye, and I would not change that. Let us make it easy on ourselves and avoid interaction entirely. You may choose your Arcana as you wish but refrain from encroaching on mine."

"You can't just claim two schools of magic!" Weiss snapped. "That's-"

"Fine." Ruby pulled Weiss' arm. "It's fine. I don't have any interest in those two anyway."

"Even so, he shouldn't act like he has the right to make such demands."

"What is the issue if Rose agrees?" Martyn asks. "I'd say we shake on it, but I doubt either of us would enjoy that much." He nodded his head instead. "Next time we duel, we shall do it as Arcanists proper and I will have you admit your defeat."

"That's fine with me."

Martyn snorted and stormed away.

Weiss hissed, "Are you an idiot? He's asking for a duel later while boldly saying he's going to join the Crimson. Are you mad? You might as well offer to tie both hands behind your back while you're at it."

"It's fine, Weiss. I don't intend to fight him and if he's far away, then isn't that a good thing?"

"I suppose. Hah. So, it seems to me like your interest lays with the Azure. Is that where you intend to go?"

It wasn't a decision to make quickly, but Ruby nodded anyway. None of the others called out to her in the same way and the Azure Arcana also had advantages that would come in hiding what she was. The Crimson and White were out of the question for obvious reasons, and that cut down on a third of the choices.

_The Arcana aren't what I thought they'd be. Green, Red and Black are basic and just focus on a certain aspect – healing, combat and making stuff – but the other three are more… professions? It's like they're working toward goals and not particular magic._

Of those, the white felt the most political, which was another reason not to get involved. They wanted to maintain the status quo, and that was the last thing she'd dedicate herself to. More than anything, what had excited her most about becoming an Arcanist was the mystery of it. The amazing impossibility of magic.

"I think I'm going for Azure."

"And I believe I will choose White," Weiss said, missing Ruby's wince. "Though I don't want to make the choice yet. I don't believe it will impact our living in the dorms until we master our respective Arcana, so we'll still be roommates. We'll just have lessons in different parts of the Collegium."

"Yeah. We can spend time together otherwise."

"I'd like that," Weiss said, looking relieved. "Do you mind if we split up here? I want to go ask some more questions of the White, and I can tell you're not interested."

"Sure. I wanted to talk to the Azure more."

"Perfect. Meet back here in an hour?"

"You're on."

/-/

"I thought you would come back," the Azure Arcanist said, watching her with a curious smile. "I sensed the thirst in you."

"Thirst…?"

"The thirst for knowledge. Answers. Every one of us has it in one way or another. That _burning question_ inside us that yearns for an answer." He chuckled and looked over the display and seeing the other Azures handling the Initiates easily, drew Ruby aside. "It differs from Arcanist to Arcanist. Some want knowledge for power and join the Crimson. Some want it for political nuance and join the White. The Black is those who crave wealth or recognition, while the Green yearn for knowledge to right the wrongs done upon them or others. The Amber crave it to have their names remembered as they create spells. All fair reasons," he said. "But we. We are different."

Ruby licked her lips. "How so?"

"We don't crave knowledge for fame, power or wealth. We crave it simply because we want to see the answer. Because living in ignorance frustrates us." The Arcanist placed a hand upon her shoulder and turned her to stand beside him, looking out over the Initiates running around. "They see us as bookish researchers wasting our time trying to pick apart things that don't need to be toyed with."

Weiss' words came back to her. _"I don't need to know how or why it works to use it."_

"To us, however, they are the ones wasting their limited time in this world. What use is a repertoire of spells for no purpose? What is there in creating a spell and throwing your name on it? Fame? Recognition? What use are those when we die? In fact, what happens _when_ we die?"

"I don't know. What does happen?"

"I don't know either," he admitted. "But I'd like to."

"Is there anyone researching that? What happens after death?"

"Almost certainly – though I dread to think how they might go about it. Not through killing anyone, that is for sure. Our rules are strict on what is and isn't allowed. But the point I am making is that everyone who joins the Azure Arcana has something they are looking for. Some answer. Some question."

The Grand Arcanist joined the Azure too. He had Red, White, Blue and Black gems – and according to the White Arcanist, he'd started there and then moved to Crimson, which meant he chose the Azure afterwards, after becoming the Grand Arcanist and being allowed to have more than two gemstones.

Had he been looking for something? What burning question did he have, and had he found it?

Ruby found herself curious.

"That's a good look," he told her. "The curiosity inside. It's agonising, isn't it? Not knowing."

"Yeah." Wildmages. Menagerie. The Sanctum. Cinder. Surges. So many things she wanted to know and that continued to elude her. He'd hit the nail on the head; it was agony not knowing the answers. "Yeah, it is. Would I get answers in the Azure?"

"You would be empowered to find your answers. Our school is the Azure Archives, a repository of knowledge solely collated and kept for our benefit. None outside the Arcana may read those tomes." He chuckled. "None can. Only those who join can even see the words upon the pages. There is much information there, my dear. The pursuit for answers is often a co-operative venture and we don't jealously hoard our knowledge from one another. It matters not _who_ finds the answer, only that it is found."

Lots of reading then. That should have put her off, but funnily enough, it didn't. Would the Archives have answers on Wildmages? It wasn't guaranteed, but if there were going to be any in the Collegium, it would be there.

"Can I ask you some questions?"

"Of course. I shall answer those that I can."

A hundred or more came to mind but most couldn't be asked. Anything about Wildmages and the Sanctum was out, as was asking about Menagerie since _she_ should know how it fell. Suddenly faced with the possibility of asking anything, her brain tossed up nothing. So typical. In the end, she sought a topic, any topic, and asked the first to come to mind.

"Why is there no Grey Arcana here?"

"The Grey-?" He looked surprised for a second. "How did you-? Ah, Menagerie, of course. You did tell me you hailed from there." His smile returned. "The Shadow Arcana is one that was specific to Menagerie. A School of Magic focused around misdirection, concealment and lies. Quite the interesting set of skills from what little I read, but the Collegium here was unwilling to accept or adopt it."

Menagerie only? Lies and deception certainly fit Blake. "Why wasn't it allowed?"

"I cannot say for certain, not being the one to have made that decision. It would have been the Grand Arcanist who did – and he did not outlaw it. I apologise if I gave that impression. He simply chose not to let it take root and become an official Arcana here. I expect there might be numerous reasons, from the message it sends to the public and nobles to the difficulty in controlling such people."

"What do you mean by message?"

"How the public perceive us," he explained. "We stay out of conflict and politics to make sure no one believes us all-powerful, and if we were to accept an Arcana that focused on lying? People might believe us untrustworthy. It is why certain things are forbidden even if they are not inherently dangerous, like necromancy. People would be horrified by it and so it is outlawed."

"Necromancy wouldn't be dangerous? It sounds dangerous…"

"Animating a dead body does not make it anything more than a dead body. I expect you could frighten people, but in terms of combat? You'd be better off paying someone with access to _muscles_ and an unrotten _skeletal structure_ to swing a sword." He laughed. "You'd get further than being wailed on by a boneless, skinless, cadaver."

Horrible to imagine, but she could see his point. If they could summon the elements, conjure huge blasts of air and make nets out of light, then what use did you have for a slowly shuffling dead person? On the other hand, cloaked figures roaming graveyards for body parts would quickly turn everyone against the Collegium.

The Grey – or Shadow Arcana – could have been the same. She already didn't trust Blake but that was due more to what she'd done than the colour of her gemstone. On the other hand, could you ever trust someone whose very spells were about lying?

"Did anywhere else study it?"

"Not officially. The Mistral and Atlas Collegium have some of their own Arcana native to them, but the Shadow never left Menagerie. A different people, a different culture. I personally think nothing for or against it, and certainly have no issue with Menagerie." He bowed his head. "May they rest easy wherever they are now."

"Y-Yeah."

He let go of her. "So, will I have the pleasure of teaching you in the Azure Archives? Or do you need more time to make your decision? It is well if you do. You have time before you must fully dedicate yourself."

"No. I want to join."

Secrets. Questions. Mysteries. Even without being a Wildmage, it was what she wanted. Power and fighting were all well and good, but she didn't want a life of combat. Healing was too dangerous with her wild magic, and creating spells was meaningless when hers didn't work the same way. The White Arcane was out for obvious reasons and the Black… well, the wealth would be nice, but it sounded like lots of research, and she was again unsure if her wild magic could even work as they intended it to. No one wanted a bathtub that actively tried to drown you.

"Excellent. I'm most excited to have you. If you wish it, I can provide you an Azure mantle now."

He drew out a piece of cloth similar to what Martyn had worn. It was really more of a shoulder cloak that only reached down a few inches past the shoulder and went all around the body. A hole for the head was where it could be pulled on and off. It was a deep, rich, blue.

"It won't mark you as an official member of the Azure Arcana, nor grant you access to the Archives, but it will announce your intention and make it clear to your teachers in which way you wish your education to be tailored."

Ruby took it and pulled it over her head. It was light. So light she didn't really feel it. The dash of colour on her otherwise grey Initiate robes was a nice touch, though. No doubt Weiss would be coming back to the dorm with a white one.

"I will look forward to welcoming you to the blue Arcana, my dear."

"Ruby," she said. "Ruby Rose."

"With a name like that, I'm sure the Crimson weeps."

She giggled. "Wait, I never asked your name!"

"Ah. I had wondered if you would realise that." He laughed again. "I'm not offended, don't worry. The Azure Arcana cares little for pomp or ritual. That gets in the way of our research and no one has time for that."

No complaining about her manners? Best. Arcana. Ever. "So, what do I call you?"

"Robert," he said, holding out a hand for her to shake. "Robert Merlot. Though most in the Azure Archives simply call me Doctor Merlot."

* * *

**Any prizes for guessing what it is **_**he**_** researches? Probably not. **

**So, I tried to limit the "Arca-" words here. Hopefully it was a little less agonising to read as a result. Okay, just checked ctrl – F and there's still 99 instances of "Arcan-" in the story. Going to go back now and shave some of those down.**

**Got it down to 80. That'll do, Coeur. That'll do.**

* * *

**Next Chapter: 15****th**** December**

**P a treon . com (slash) Coeur **


	21. Chapter 21

**As mentioned before, no updates 23-29****th**** December.**

* * *

**Chapter 21**

* * *

It didn't really surprise Ruby when Weiss came back to their dorm with a white mantle wrapped around her shoulders. Almost like a shawl, it offset the grey and complimented her hair. What it did not compliment was Ruby's presence as a Wildmage, and that soured her thoughts no matter how much she told herself Weiss didn't know.

They weren't the only ones to show up to class the next day wearing coloured mantles. Apart from them and Malneux, who wore the red, about two thirds of the other Initiates in their years wore a mantle. There were more red than white, more white than green, then down to black, amber and finally blue. The Azure Arcana was sorely underrepresented, which suited her just fine.

It probably had more to do with the displays than anything. While the Crimson threw a full show of combat and the Emerald stitched people together, the Azure hadn't really gone out their way to impress. Even the Black at least showed off their wares.

There were still a fair few wearing naught but the grey Initiate Robes. As she understood it, there was no compulsion to choose so early and no real benefit to doing so. She could, if she wished, changer the colour of her mantle at the drop of a hat. It wasn't locked in until she made the choice to study in their school, the Azure Archives. Even so, a few people of varying colours were starting to intermingle, crimson hopefuls gathering off to one side while a few wearing white made tentative efforts to talk to Weiss.

Tentative. Very tentative. Half-hearted didn't even begin to describe it.

"You sure you want to join the White?" Ruby asked. "Won't you be lonely there?"

"I'm sure I can find someone a little older to discuss magic with." Weiss glanced her way. "And I'll always have you if I don't, won't I?"

"Yeah. Of course."

"Then I'll be fine."

Ruby sighed. Her little attempts to sway Weiss away from the White hadn't yielded much success. That she hadn't been told off for it had more to do with Weiss being subtly flattered by her efforts than anything else, but even then, it sounded like Weiss' pleasure was fast running out. _Ugh. Stupid White Arcana and their stupid Wildmage hunts._

She'd wanted to go and tell Cinder about her choice the night before, but been unable to dodge Weiss, who wanted to plan their whole future at the Collegium. She'd gone over what next colours they should take, whether they should both join the Black together after their respective first Arcana, and how if they didn't, they could still support one another in their own ways.

Honestly, she was surprised Weiss hadn't gone into marriage planning and how to tie her into the Schnee family. It was sweet, she supposed. Just kind of weird to have it happening so fast. Whether she'd act the same if she knew the truth – either the Wildmage one or her being a Dredger – was hard to tell.

"Looks like Martyn is looking to set himself up as leader of the Crimson," Weiss noted.

Ruby glanced over, seeing the tall boy waving his arms dramatically as he went on about his father, espousing the family virtues and the connections he had in the Crimson, which, if those around him played their cards right, Martyn might be prepared to swing in their favour. Additional training, access to better spells and more.

If it hadn't been for the duel between Jaune and Leon, she'd have said he was spouting shit. As it was, she knew he had the connections he promised. _So much for us earning what we achieve on merit._

Well, no one had ever really promised that. The Collegium _did_ favour nobles after all.

When the door opened and Arcanist Oobleck entered, Ruby stood with Weiss and everyone else, waiting for the wiry man to take his place behind the desk. He gestured for them to sit, waited for the scrape of chairs to come to an end, and then put his books down with a heavy thud.

"Well," he said, "I see that many of you have chosen your first Arcana. I hope you'll keep in mind that there is still time to change your minds should you wish it. There is no shame in doing so, but plenty to be had in stubbornly forcing yourself onto a path you won't enjoy because such nebulous concerns as family honour or expectation. Think carefully about your choices."

No one looked like they were considering that, even the ones who should. Telling the nobles that family honour didn't matter was a tough sell when they'd only just come away from that. Ruby thought he'd have better luck when they were a year or two older, though by that point it'd be too late for them to change their first gemstone.

Well, that was their problem. The Azure was really the only one that fit her. The Black would have been nice, but if they worked on carefully applied spells – as the sigils on their items suggested – then it might be impossible for her. Her magic was anything but ordered.

"Now I know you're probably all eager to jump straight into your chosen fields, but we still have some fundamentals to teach you first. The various Arcana expect you to be well-versed in the basics before they'll teach you anything."

Turning, Oobleck began to scrawl on the board. The words meant something now, though she had to concentrate and sometimes it was a case of guessing the missing word based on those around it. Control _something_ flows of _something_ and the cons – Constance? No, consequence – of power.

"I've spoken before on how your control is important in not causing any accidents, and young Lord Malneux gave us a fine example of what happens when you lose that control." He waited for the laughter to die down. Ruby's was among it, especially as Martyn fumed. "But today, I want to discuss the wider consequences beyond what may occur to you."

"For instance, while it may seem obvious that failing to control a water spell might make you wet, what happens to the water once it is outside your control? A single glass worth may not mean much, but when controlling much larger flow, such as attempting to divert a river, your lapse in concentration could flood the local environ, damaging crops, threatening households and imperilling the position of Arcanists within wider society."

Oobleck tapped his chalk on his sleeve. "No one wants to go back to the days of superstitious people suggesting we live in isolated convents like hermits. We've earned out place in the Kingdoms. Now, it's time to make sure that isn't impacted." He turned and started writing on the board again. "The White Arcana in particular focus on maintaining that, and they're not afraid to correct anyone who goes against them."

He dove into a lecture on how to segment their magic in different weaves, called threads. This, he explained, would let them balance the various aspects of the spell in such a way that if one fell, it would not take the whole spell with it. The concentration was more, the spell harder to cast, but at times when you _had_ the time to be careful, it was the best way to go.

Of course, it was useless to Ruby. Threads and weaves didn't mean anything. Her power just came and went, more like the annual floods than anything else. _I can agree on the control, though. I nearly lost it and started a storm in the slums._ Even when she listened with half an ear, however, there was nothing she could apply to her own ability.

She went through the motions. There was no way for Oobleck to tell if she was following his instructions or not, so she brought a small ball of water out the glass jar provided and, with everyone else, worked on moulding it into various shapes, breaking it into two shapes floating together, then – which was much harder for everyone else, apparently – making one ball of water hover up and down, and the other move left and right. Asking them to split their attention two ways and make the spells do two opposite motions was too much for some, who splashed water on their robes and brand new mantles.

Weiss got it within a few tries. Ruby made sure she was just a little behind, even when the water felt like it might dance if she asked it to. Or flow stronger and stronger, flooding the room and drowning all of them. Swallowing, she clamped down on that errant thought and focused on keeping it _small_.

"Practice makes perfect," Oobleck said. "If you need to, you should practice with the river running through the Collegium. There are enchantments on its banks to make sure it cannot flood, so you'll be safe even if you lose control." He chuckled. "Much safer than playing with fire."

"The river can't flood?"

"Hm? Oh, Miss Rose. Did you say something?"

"The river, sir. You said it can't flood?"

"Indeed. As you may not know, coming from Menagerie, the River Vale floods annually, enriching the soil outside the city with mountainous extracts and providing our bountiful harvest. Of course, the whole river can burst its banks, which necessitated action by the Black Arcana to limit the damage."

"How does that work?"

"Well, I didn't work on it specifically, so I don't know all the details, but I believe it's an extension of the enchantment used in our washrooms. Essentially, water that bursts the banks is transported further down the river and kicked out there."

"Probably in the slums," Martyn said. "Wash away the Dredgers before they get uppity."

The glass jar on Ruby's desk shattered.

"Control, Miss Rose," Oobleck cautioned, missing how it happened or why. He didn't miss her glare at the fucking bastard who just spoke. "And Mr Malneux, you shall refrain from saying such things. The floodwater is _not_ expressly sent to the Lower District, nor is it used in so callous a fashion. It is, to the best of my knowledge, diverted to the farm, were we want it to flood."

Ruby sat down again, wrestling her power under control. Weiss' glass had started to shake and crack as well, though Weiss herself hadn't noticed. A crack had also formed in the wood of her desk, running down one leg and making it splinter.

They weren't contributing to the floods. It wasn't like that. She nodded to Oobleck, whispering a quiet thank you for the answer and then pretending she had to focus on her spellwork again. The river _did_ flood in the slums, but that wasn't the leading factor of the floods that washed people away. It was the water from the farms draining back down, the slums being on a _lower_ level than the outlying farmland.

In a way, the Collegium pumping the floodwater out there made it worse for the slums, but since the city was placed on a slope anyway, the water flooding the Collegium would have run down to the slums either way. It was inevitable; though, she had to wonder if the Collegium couldn't find some other way about it.

"Can't they use magic to dig a big hole and pump the floodwater into there?" she asked. "Then people wouldn't die."

"It's just Dredgers," someone muttered.

"I'm afraid it's not that simple, though the question is a good one and feeds into the topic of our lesson." Oobleck tapped the board again. "You see, while your concept may have merit, what would happen to all the water pumped into this hole?"

"It'd become a lake?"

"Precisely. And let us assume it takes five years of flooding to form a new lake. For the first five or ten years, maybe even twenty, it might not be a problem. But what occurs when we have _ten_ lakes outside the city?"

"I… I don't know…"

"Does anyone know?" Oobleck asked.

"The fishing industry booms?" someone joked. The class laughed.

"Not incorrect, young man! Provided fish grew, we _would_ see an increase in fish caught and a boost to the economy. That might be a good thing. However, so much water seeping into the ground might also impact the farmland outside, either eroding away and weakening the soil or causing sinkholes to expand. The impact of our works-" He slapped the board for measure, "-can often go further than we anticipate. The Kingdom might be quite upset if we caused a famine that wiped out half the population of the city, no? As such, we have to consider the deeper consequences of our actions. Does that answer your question, Lady Rose?"

"It does. Thank you, Arcanist."

"No. Thank you. A good question to teach a valuable lesson." He waved her down. "Now, who needs help with their spellwork?"

As he travelled among the class to offer advice, Ruby went back to pretending to be concentrating. The answer had helped mollify her a little. It was quite obviously the people of the slums being sacrificed for the greater good of everyone, but it at least made sense. If a famine did occur, they'd be the first to starve. And it wasn't the Collegium saying they couldn't be bothered to help, only that they couldn't find a way to limit the floods without impacting the city.

If she could think something up, the Collegium might do it. Something to consider in the Azure Archives, though the more she tossed on her plate, the harder it was going to be.

_I already have to figure out what a Wildmage is, why we're hunted and whether Blake's shadowy enemies are real – and why the Collegium locks people away in the Sanctum. I can't fix the floods on top of all that!_

Small steps. One thing at a time.

/-/

The grand bell tolled what felt like half an hour later, and Weiss and she let everyone else file out first before leaving. That both avoided the crowds and made it so that if Martyn stayed to be a pain, he'd look like he was waiting on them and lose face. Weiss' idea. Apparently, being seen to wait for another noble suggested you were below them. It didn't make sense seeing how Weiss often waited for her to finish breakfast, but her roommate assured her that was different.

Didn't explain why, though. Ugh. Nobles.

At least Jaune was easier to get along with. He still wasn't out from his work in the Sanctum, but she spotted Sun training outside topless and gave him a wave, rushing over with Weiss tailing behind. "Hey Sun! Hey!"

A few girls watching grumbled, though for once it was at Weiss and not her. They all assumed she was Jaune's girl, so her approaching Sun wasn't seen as a threat. Weiss was different. _Weiss and Sun would be funny together,_ she thought without any real seriousness. They'd be cute, but she couldn't see them working out, what with Weiss being so important.

"Lady Schnee," Sun said, bowing. He winked at her. "Ruby."

Weiss scoffed at how casual he was but did nod back. "Sun. You seem well."

"I feel well." He stretched, angling his body toward the nearest group of girls. It wasn't lost on Ruby _or_ Weiss just _why_ he'd decided to come stretch outside the main school building at what coincidentally happened to be the time lessons ended.

No one complained. Certainly not the onlookers.

"Any news from Jaune?" she asked.

"None yet. Relax, his lordship is alright. He always comes back worn out, but he's up and about the next morning." Sun popped a joint and winced. "Ow. I try and have some food ready for him whenever I know he's coming back. He whines and says it's not necessary, but he scoffs it down like he hasn't eaten in days."

"That's thoughtful of you," Weiss said.

"Yeah well, Jaune's a pal. Stuck up for me, so I'll stick up for him. Brothers in arms and all that."

Sun had that rustic way of speaking that slipped out whenever he was working out. It spoke of the farms outside the walls, which she'd guessed a while back he came from. He wasn't posh enough to be from the Upper District, nor well-dressed enough to be from the Merchant's. The farms were considered higher than Dredgers and had the money to outfit a favoured son.

_I wonder if the reason Jaune is so easy-going is because Sun wore off on him. Not a bad thing at all._

"So," Sun said. "Did you want me for something, or just here to prevent me getting any attention?"

"The latter," Weiss replied snidely. "Your showing off belittles you."

"Does it, though? Does it?"

Ruby elbowed Weiss in the ribs. "I just wanted to see if Jaune was back or recovered."

"He'll be fine. Little wound like that won't slow him down."

"How did it happen anyway?" Ruby asked. "Weiss just said it was on his arm and something about training going wrong." The details were scant, and since Ruby hadn't seen him herself, she didn't know anything more than that. Weiss hadn't even told her if it was a broken bone, cut or pulled muscle, just that he had his arm in a sling.

"Don't know what to tell you. He mucked up." Sun stretched his arms. "I wasn't there for it, so I figure it happened with someone else. You know," he said, "His other teachers."

The Sanctum. Ruby nodded and let it go. Weiss didn't know. He must have been training with the other guards there. Unless he'd been hurt in an escape attempt? No magic, but an inmate could have tried to brute force their way out and hit him with something.

"Do you know how long it usually takes for him to get back?"

"Usually a couple a days to a week. Never more than that. I figure he'll be back tonight or tomorrow night. I've been bringing food back last two nights just in case." He winked at her. "I'll tell him you were asking and to come find you if you like?"

"I think not!" Weiss said. "If you and Lord Jaune wish to canoodle, you can do so away from our dorm. I draw the line in the sand there, Ruby. Don't make me draw it in blood!"

"I didn't mean like that…"

Sun just kept on laughing.

"Ugh. You don't have to tell him. Let him rest if he wants; I'll catch him when I jog with you guys in the morning."

"Sure. Sure. If that's all, then? I don't mean to be rude, but there's this cute girl with brown hair who comes out about now…"

"By all means," Weiss snorted. "Don't let us impede your mating display. Come on, Ruby. We've put off that assignment in the library long enough and it's due in three days' time!"

"Then can't we do it in two?"

"No, we cannot!" Weiss gripped her sleeve and dragged her away.

/-/

Yang kept whittling on the hunk of half-rotted wood, carving away small flakes with her favourite knife. The wood peeled back, exposing the brighter kind inside. The work helped distract her and would, if she was lucky, be the right size to patch that drafty hole in the door. Junior insisted it was her fault even if the rats gnawed it.

It also helped give her something to look at other than the creepy Arcanist sat opposite her.

"Do you intend to ignore me forever?"

"I'd been thinkin' about it. You intend to sit there and brood forever?"

"Ruby insisted that if any harm came to you, I would be in danger," Blake said. The faunus was hooded as she always was, but her yellow eyes glowed in the dim light. Creepy things far as she was concerned. "I think it prudent I keep an eye on you given the dangerous nature of your employment."

"Long way of saying you're terrified of my sister."

"That girl," Blake hissed, "is capable of ripping down the entire city if she loses her temper! You would do well to remember that."

Yang reversed the knife and stabbed it down into the table, adding one more of a hundred incisions. "That girl," she fired back, "Is still my sister no matter her power." Wrenching the knife out, she pointed it at the Arcanist. "You'd do well to remember that."

"Do you often threaten those infinitely more powerful than you?"

"I do when they can't do shit about it without pissing off those infinitely more powerful than them."

Blake scowled and looked away, and Yang chalked up a win for her. There'd been few of those lately, ever since Ruby unlocked her power and life got a whole lot more complicated than it had been. Things had been easier when it was just the two of them. Not necessarily better – the extra food she got with the money Ruby stole attested to that – but it had been easier not worrying.

"I don't get this Wildmage shit."

"I'm not surprised," Blake said with a sigh. "I doubt you'd understand much about being an Arcanist."

"No more than you know about being a Dredger. At least we hate people for good reasons – you don't even know why you're afraid of Ruby."

"Because she is a Wildmage. Because they are powerful. Dangerous."

Yang snorted. "How? You Arcanists have power too. Why are you not hunted down and killed?"

"We used to be. Times changed."

"And it isn't time they changed for Wildmages, too?"

"If they were safe, yes, but Wildmages are dangerous to every Kingdom they exist in."

"See, that's what I don't get." Yang put the carved wood down and flipped the knife up and down in her hand, catching it by the blade each time. "You don't know _why_ they're dangerous, only that someone told you they were. You don't have proof of anything. You're just blindly following what other people tell you. It's fuck'n stupid."

"They are trusted sources. It's accepted knowledge!"

"Still not something you've tested yourself or know the reason for."

"I've neither tested whether stabbing myself in the heart kills me – but that doesn't mean I have to try it. Sometimes, it's best to accept the knowledge others have bled and died for rather than stick your hand in a burning fire to see if it's hot."

Yang sighed and stabbed her knife down again. "That's shit."

"That's life. The Collegiums don't expend all these resources to capture Wildmages because it's a hobby. Whatever the reason, it's important enough for Arcanists to die for. Or to build signal bell towers all around a city district. I'd say that means it's a big deal."

"But you don't know what that big deal is…"

"No."

"Who would?"

"I wouldn't know," Blake said, shrugging. "The Grand Arcanist certainly, but as for those below? Presumably the Headmaster of the Academy, likely those close to the Grand Arcanist himself. There might be others, maybe the leaders of the various Arcana or those high enough to actively hunt Wildmages. I expect those willing to risk their lives doing so would know the true reason. How else would they be prepared to kill for it?"

Yang cocked an eyebrow. "Would those huntsmen know?"

Blake stilled. "I don't know. They might just be trained for the role and paid to do it." Her eyes narrowed. "If you're thinking about capturing one, think again. Leaving aside the fact they'd die before answering, Ruby would kill me for letting you put yourself in such danger."

"And what," she laughed, "You gonna follow me all day to be sure I don't?"

When Blake didn't answer, Yang groaned.

"Tell me you're not…"

"I have little better to do."

"Fuck me sideways."

"And if the huntsmen find out about Ruby, or those responsible for Menagerie, they may hunt you down to act as bait for her. If that happens, your sister will surely force me to join her in a doomed rescue attempt." Blake sighed. "I'd rather prevent that happening in the first place. If that means shadowing you, so be it."

"Do I get a say in this?"

Blake chuckled. "Did _I_ get a say in it?"

"Yes. You did. But you forfeited it when you fucked with my sister."

The laughter dwindled off. Another win for her. Blake could complain all she liked, but she'd made this bed and she got to lay in it.

Having an Arcanist follow her about, though? Fuck. That sounded like a hassle, not least of all because she didn't share Ruby's fascination with them. _That much power shouldn't belong to one kind of people. If it weren't for Ruby, Blake could kill me without a care in the world. And there'd be fuck all I could do about it._

No. Having an Arcanist about, let alone now sharing a room with her, wasn't nearly as fun as Ruby thought it would be.

"If you're going to be a drain on my resources, least you can do is earn us some-" Yang cut off when a hefty coin pouch tinkled onto the table. It was closed, but the noise it made was heavenly. "Where'd you get that?"

"Does it matter?"

"It does if you lifted it off Junior for fuck's sake."

"That man downstairs has no idea I exist," Blake said with a snort. "And should that change, I have no qualms making him forget. As for that, it's my own reserves. It should do to support me for a while, and if I need more, it wouldn't be hard to steal it."

"That normally how you Arcanists do things?"

Blake smirked. "It is _my_ kind of Arcanist."

"Won't the bell towers sense that?"

"Not if I keep it subtle. Also, they're keyed to the slums. I could slink into the Merchant's Quarter and use magic there. It would be sensed, but how many Arcanists visit the Market Quarter in a day? No one would bat an eye at a little magic there." She tapped her fingers on the table. "I'll only be doing that if I can be assured of your safety, however."

"Gee. Nice of you to care."

"I always care when it comes to my life, Yang. You can be sure of that."

A meaty fist pounded at the door, shaking the frame. Yang cursed and looked over, then glanced back and froze. Blake was gone. The chair she'd sat in was empty. Shaking, she stumbled to her feet and away from the table, scanning the room and finding no sign of her.

_She's using magic to hide herself._ It had to be since the shutters were closed and there was no other way out. Far from calming her, it had her heart racing. _She's using magic right in front of me and there's not a damn thing I can do about it!_ Her wide eyes swept left and right as she backed up to the door, knife at the ready.

It was one thing for Ruby to have that power. It was Ruby. She got a pass. Her sister could be a fucking cannibal for all she cared – she'd just demand that shit never happened in front of her. Another thing entirely to have Blake use her powers.

_I'd never see the knife coming before I died._

The door pounded again. "Yang!" Junior yelled. "Open the door before I knock it down."

Swallowing, she tried unsuccessfully to settle her nerves. "Alright, I'm coming. Calm your tits, Junior!" Plastering a confident smile on her face, she wrenched it open. "What's so fucking urgent? I thought I had the rest of the night off."

"You did," he spat, "And then you didn't."

He looked nervous. That made her nervous. "What's happened?"

"Tunnels are being closed. Guards that could be bribed are being replaced. The rooftops are becoming dangerous." He looked down the corridor nervously. "Masked figured in black roaming late at night, and to hear it from two lads that tried to jump them, they ripped one man in two without a fucking thought or pause."

Huntsmen. Yang swallowed. "You're not tellin' me to go after them, right?"

"And invite their wrath here? I don't fucking think so. It's making people nervous, though. Guards who do their job is bad for business – and business is already bad ever since those Arcanists started showing up and causing trouble. This stinks of their meddling."

"And what do we do? We can't get involved with that."

"No, but we can make plans. Right now, I've got the feeling they're rounding us up in the slums and sealing all the exits. What do you think's gonna happen when the floods come?" He watched her pale. "Exactly. You know I take you and the girls out the tunnels to avoid it. I can't do that if they're sealed."

It was no exaggeration to say she and Ruby owed their survival to Junior, and not just for work and a roof over their heads. He was connected enough to know ways out the slums when the storms hit, and since he wanted his loyal followers safe and alive to carry out his work, he wasn't above taking them with him.

If those avenues were gone, they'd be stuck in the slums. Maybe that was their plan – let the place flood, capture everyone inside and see if the WIldmage showed herself. Ruby wouldn't; she wouldn't even be here, but she sure as hell would if Yang drowned.

"Me and a few of the other runners in town are meeting at Mac's." Runners meant those who ran the gangs. They weren't organised but tended to stay out each other's way the same way predators didn't bother fighting, because wounded gangs became weaker gangs. "I get to bring one person along and Miltia and Melanie aren't good if shit goes south."

"Right. I'll be there. Is it tonight?"

"Tomorrow evening. This is your early warning."

"Sure. I'll be ready, boss."

"Good." He turned away, though not without the final word. "It's in your best interests as much as mine. Whatever they're planning, we don't want to be stuck here when the floods hit."

Yang closed the door behind him, leaning her forehead on the wood with wide eyes. If things were as bad as he thought they were, it could mean a bitter winter ahead. And Ruby… Shit. Ruby would panic and try to help if she found out. And she wouldn't think twice of whether that exposed her.

"Well," Blake said from behind her, making Yang jump. "I've heard of smoking out a rat, but flooding is a new way to go about it."

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**Only ten days until Christmas. Welp.**

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**Next Chapter: 22nd December**

**P a treon . com (slash) Coeur**


	22. Chapter 22

**We have some fanart for the cover now. I'm not sure if anyone can see it as all the cover images for every story haven't been loading for me for a few days, but it's there! Trust! I'd link the twitter it was on, but since this site hates links (probably for good reasons of spam and viruses, etc) I can't.**

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**Cover Art:** Z-ComiX

**Chapter 22**

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"I don't trust you."

"It's a good job I haven't asked for your trust then."

"But right now, I don't have a choice," Yang went on, trying to ignore both the interruption and that stupid, smug, face. "Junior will shit bricks if he finds out about you, especially if you're going to listen in on this meet. It's breaking the rules, and no one does that."

"Honour among thieves? I thought that was just a myth."

"It's not honour, bitch, it's business."

"My _name_ is Blake. I'd appreciate you using it."

"And I'd appreciate it if you stopped looking down your nose at all of us." Her reward was a moment of shock from the Arcanist. Good. "You may have power the likes of which I can't comprehend, but you're nothing here. Get it? Far as the facts are concerned, you're more homeless than I am."

The Arcanist drew in a sharp breath. Her brows drew down. "My home was destroyed."

"Yeah, and you don't see me making light of it – so don't you dare make light of those fuckers flooding the slums." Yang poked her in the chest. "It may be a shithole to you, but it's our home. It's where Ruby and I grew up and the people here have fucking lives!"

"I apologise." Blake turned away, eyes closing. "I'll try better."

Better than nothing. More than she'd expected. She didn't hold out any hope for it, but she'd give her the benefit of the doubt for now. "Good. Now, there's no honour among thieves down here, but there is business. Something like this obviously affects everyone, so it's in our best interests to work together. The rules of hospitality will be in effect, which means one guest each. Break that and the whole thing will fall down, so you cannot be seen!"

"I won't be. Am I to not intervene even if something goes wrong?"

"Nothing should – but if someone else breaks the rules first, feel free to lend a hand. Long as it's not us crossing that line." Yang dragged on a tattered cloak that had been repaired one too many times. The weave was worn and torn, and the hood no longer pulled up. Just in case the Arcanists were watching, she'd chosen to get rid of the one she'd been seen in with Ruby. "You know where Mac's is, I take it. It's the place where you met Ruby."

"I know it." Blake tilted her head. "You seem remarkably calm considering. The Collegium intends to flood the slums. Doesn't that make you angry?"

"Floods happen every year. People die. You get used to it. It's not like they're the ones causing the flood; they're just cutting off some of our escape routes. Those aren't supposed to exist anyway, so there ya go." Sighing, she made her way to the door. "It's a part of life for us and you get used to it. You don't see farmers screaming at winter or cursing the seasons."

"Farmers save stock to last through winter."

"And we find out escape routes," Yang said. "Those that can't try and outlast or get swept away, depending on what high ground they can find. That's just business."

"How cruel…"

"We don't make the rules, Blake. We just live by 'em."

/-/

Mac's was quieter than it had been for a long while. The lights were dimmed, candles set around a single long table, with only a few in the windows. The torches had been doused, the door barricaded, and a plank drawn across to make sure everyone knew it was closed.

Yang followed Junior in, stopping when he did to nod to Mac, and then pulling out his chair at the table for him. He sat down and pulled himself under, nodding once to the various other worn and scarred figures around the table. Yang took her spot behind him, as was traditional and so she could block a knife to the back with her own.

The slums didn't have an official crime ring. It had important people. You knew who those were, and you didn't fuck with them. That was the long and short of it. They didn't own territory or business or have traditions, rules and empires. They were just people who, by grace of viciousness, cunning or ambition, had power.

There was Lady Margrove opposite Junior. Not a real lady obviously, though she liked to fashion herself on one with a rich maroon dress that hid its stains and tears well. She had a whole animal flung over her shoulders, its fur just a little tattered. Charcoal lined her eyes and red dust plumped up her cheeks. Unbearable and arrogant in some parody of a noble, the Lady ran the only proper whorehouse in the slums. At least, the only one you could go to and expect not to come away from robbed, diseased or shanked.

Malcolm the Lender sat to her left. He had a bumpy, pock-marked face that ran with sweat, like he'd been visiting the cheap whores again. Considering he was barred from Lady's brothel, that was probably true. No love lost there, though rumour had it there once had been a torrid affair. Malcolm dealt with loans – though rarely with coin. If he had that kind of lien, he'd have been in a higher district. He loaned property, resources, food and tools – the kind of shit desperate people needed to get a leg up and try and start a business. He'd then gouge them for anything they earned, drive them to ruin and take their property.

If property was worth anything in the slums, he might have been out already.

Alchemist Theodore was sipping on something questionable. He called himself an alchemist and demanded everyone else did too but in reality, he was little more than a peddler. He worked in medicines, poisons and narcotics – and there was a fair chance you'd get either if you went to him, and by accident on his part. His tinctures _could_ heal, as Yang could personally attest when she caught the lung blight, but they also sent you to places you didn't want to go. It had taken months to break her off the cravings for more, which was no doubt the fucker's plan from the start.

Anja, six foot tall behemoth of a woman with an ugly scar down the centre of her face, made her trade as the strongest bitch in the slums – and willing to do whatever she was asked to for coin – sat in the corner of the tavern away from the table, not necessarily a guest but invited because no one dared not. She spared Yang a nod and a smirk, and Yang looked away, rubbing her left arm where the scars still ached.

There were others at the meet. None as big as them and Junior sitting firmly in the middle of it all in terms of importance. He – they – had their power and their little patch of the slums they called their own, but their gang was one of many, their control as tenuous as the life of any Dredger. That was why Junior couldn't call such a meet, but when Lady Margrove did, everyone answered.

"A fine day to see you all in attendance," the Lady said, voice rich and booming. Her twangy accent cut through, something no noble would be caught dead with, but she did her best to force it down. "Such a fine array of gents and gentlemen on this most august eve. Alas that what brings us together is so dire a circumstance, otherwise I might enjoy a drink with you all."

"You can always enjoy a drink with me, my dear." The Alchemist held up his brightly coloured and no doubt noxious beverage. "I trust my tincture for your girl helped with her burning little problem?" He clutched his crotch suggestively.

"Oh, Theodore. It worked a charm. Poor girl has been screaming at spirits and windows for the last few days – was beside herself this morn because she saw her own reflection." The Lady sighed heavily. "But her treasure is all well and good again, if a little sore, and that's all that matters." She tittered. "There are those who will pay for the pleasure of laying with a girl not quite all there." She tapped her head. "If you know what I mean."

Yang grimaced, thankful not for the first time that she'd resisted the Lady's generous offer. Serve, spread her legs, and she might have been providing for both Ruby and her. It was only luck and stubbornness that had her tussling with the Malachites and earning Junior's attention instead.

"We're not here to talk about us, Theo." Lady Margrove blew him a kiss. "Let's move onto business, shall we? I trust that by now the messengers we hired have passed the news onto all of you?" When no one suggested otherwise, she nodded. "That's good. Your messengers are as reliable as ever, Junior."

"Thank you, my lady."

Junior knew his place and it wasn't at the top. There wouldn't be any grand reprisal for him speaking out of turn, no knife in the back or loss of reputation. What he would lose was access to the whorehouse, discounts on tinctures and he might find others less willing to deal with him. Little things, but in the cutthroat world of the slums, those little things could add up quickly.

It was better to toe the line.

"All this Arcanist stuff is bad for business," Malcolm grumbled. "And business is bad enough around the floods. Last thing we need is them sticking their noses where it don't belong."

"As crass as you sound, I do agree," Lady said. "It's rather rude for them to come and do all this without so much as introducing themselves." She tittered into one hand, laughter phlegmy. "Also, a problem to see the tunnels closed like that. I dare say they're trying to keep all of us here when the floods come. Waterlogged girls don't make for good stock - nor do bloated corpses make good patrons."

Everyone around the table muttered and complained, some looking afraid and others annoyed, usually dependant on age. The older ones were used to the coming and going of the floods. They weathered it with a stoic acceptance of what life was. The floods weren't the issue here. It was the Arcanists.

"They're looking for something," Theodore said. "I've heard rumours…"

"As have we all, quack," Malcolm snapped. "Rumours don't help us here."

"Malcom. Do be calm. You know that my girls are told all sorts of things beneath the covers. One of my pets heard from a guard recently that those seeking to leave or enter the city must first be inspected by an Arcanist. Telling, no? Perhaps the rumours are not so wild as first imagined."

"A Wildmage then, or a rogue of their own."

Yang watched but no one had any overt reaction. Much like her, the term meant so little – just something known to be vaguely dangerous, but without detail as to how. The thought of a criminal Arcanist was much worse.

"Short of finding this person and handing them over, I don't see what good this knowledge does us," Malcolm said. "And if the Arcanists can't find them, we're shit out of luck."

"Malcolm _does_ have a point," Theodore said. "Better we look to re-open the tunnels than do the Collegium's work for them."

Junior coughed and waited for Theodore to nod his way before speaking. "I've had some of mine look at the tunnels, quick scouting. They're guarded. Not just by guards, but shadowy figures who follow those that get too close."

Huntsmen. Shit.

"I've seen some of those," a younger man said. Everyone glared at him until he ducked his head. "I-If I may speak, madam?"

"Quite rude, but I shall forgive it this once. Speak."

"One of my boys was workin' with another. Just some lifts on those in the quieter parts. They made the mistake of assumin' one of those would be easy." He was cut off by laughter, his face burning red as he clenched his hands on the table. "They're dangerous. Didn't even hesitate before cutting one of my boys from ear to ear. Dead before he knew it, and the fucker just walked on without a care."

"Well what do you expect, you silly boy? You don't tangle with the Collegium." Lady Margrove tittered again. "That certainly does put a damper on things though, doesn't it? Reclaiming the tunnels may be out of the question."

"Seems to me they expect their missing person to find and use 'em to escape," Malcolm said. "Us drowning is just an unintended consequence of that. One they don't care enough to try and prevent." He slammed a hand on the table. "I say we make new tunnels."

"That will take time."

"Then best we start straight. And we don't advertise or sell access to this one. Just for us – just for those that matter. The less that know if them, the better."

"It hurts little to try," Theodore said. "In the meantime, we try other approaches as well. I shall reach out – I have a Merchant who owes me after his daughter became… an endearing fan of one of my latest concoctions. There's quite a lot he'll do to keep her safe, sated and out of the public eye. I may well be able to convince him to fund our little expedition."

"You will be compensated if you do, Theo. My girls would just love to show you their gratitude."

A lesser ganger coughed like Junior had and waited for his permission. "A single tunnel might still be discovered. It may be worth evacuating the slums before the floods hit. If none of us are this Wildmage, we shouldn't run into problems."

"Leaving to survive means little if our businesses crumble," Malcolm spat. "Think beyond your own neck a little, cretin. I have property. Margrove has her stables of whores. Theodore has his chemicals and you all have your shitty little patches. How do you think business is going to be if the whole slums is wiped away by this? Because that's what we're facing."

"We all charge people to use those tunnels," Junior said calmly, "But they are effective. Those who can, save for them through the year and escape the floods. With those closed, the death toll will be much higher this year. As Malcolm the Lender says, that's bad for business." He punctuated the point by slapping his hand on the table. "Bad for all of us."

"Well what do we do? We can't take them back and if we dig a new one, it runs the risk of being found. Do we hope they find this fucker before the floods come?"

"No." Lady Margrove said. "We prepare. We make plans. We adapt. And if needs be, we turn our attentions on the Arcanists themselves."

"Are you fucking serious? We'll be slaughtered!"

"Attention does not necessarily mean violence, my dears. Men and women can be swayed with words just as easily as they can a blade. A little bribe here, a favour there, a loving caress to those who might need it. They cannot all be indomitable in the face of such."

Yang had a feeling they might be. Though they apparently had just as little idea the true threat of a Wildmage as she and Blake did, the zeal with which they went about their work told her those sent down here would be resolute.

And if they were willing to let so many die for it… well, did that suggest Wildmages were so dangerous the deaths were worth it? Or was it just that Dredgers counted as less? It could have been either. Yang resisted the urge to look around for Blake, knowing the Arcanist would be in the room somewhere but not wanting to give it away. No one had noticed a thing, not even Anja in the corner, sharpening the hooked sword that had almost taken her arm off at the elbow.

_If Ruby finds out about this, she'll feel responsible. I can't let her know. _

The floods came every year, Sure, these ones would be worse thanks to the Collegium, but the tunnels weren't supposed to exist in the first place and hadn't twenty years ago, so it was more like going back to how things were before they were born. _Junior will get us out either way. He's not going to accept waiting here to drown._

And at the end of the day, she wasn't a Wildmage. The Arcanists at the gates could look her over all they wanted – she could walk out. Lots of people could. The problem was that the farmlands also flooded, even if the water drained back into the slums, and the Outskirts were infested with bandits, Grimm and wild animals.

Either you stayed in the slums and risked drowning, but at least had shelter and warmth, provided the water didn't eat away at the supports and make your building crush you. Or you went out into the farmlands to freeze in the cold and be found floating in the water. Or, if you were really asking for death, you tried to survive in the Outskirts.

Plenty did each year. Some even came back alive.

Some…

_There's not much useful being decided,_ she thought with a little sigh. _I guess everyone is too afraid of the Collegium to do anything._ Yang wondered how long that'd last when the river started bursting its banks.

And how many would choose to die charging the Arcanists instead of facing the cold water.

/-/

The Azure Archives was far less impressive than the tall and spired building she'd accompanied Weiss to earlier. Where that had smacked of some grand palace, the Archives was a perfectly rectangular building with a single entrance at the front. That wasn't to say it was uninspiring. Grand pillars rose up on either side of the entrance, reaching right to the roof and standing out in gold scrolling from the dark brick.

Plants and vines crept down the outside, surrounding tall, thin windows. Flower beds dotted the outskirts, and while there was no wall and gate to keep people out, the flower beds created a soft barrier for those unwilling to trad across them. A few benches lay outside, with a couple of Arcanists wearing the dark blue robes busy reading or chatting.

Or debating, it sounded like. They were passionate and loud, throwing around terms she'd never heard of and couldn't hope to understand, gesticulating wildly. Occasionally, one would pause to scribble something down on a slate or parchment. Books were opened, closed and even thrown down in frustration.

No one was there to greet her, unlike the White, which had ornately dressed guards outside and someone who had taken Weiss in hand and promised to escort and show her around the White School.

Ruby found herself walking gingerly up to the front entrance on her own, ready to back away if anyone told her off for it. Since no one did, she peeked through the doors, which were pinned open, and then stepped in after that.

The interior was stone floored and warmly lit with a fire burning in a hearth nearby, thick rugs across the floor and a few seats that looked so comfy she wanted to collapse into them and fall asleep. She could imagine the Arcanists outside retiring once the air got colder, sitting around the fire while continuing their discussions.

A boy not too much older than her, dressed in full blue, walked through a nearby doorway and headed toward another. He hadn't seen her.

"Excuse me?"

The boy paused, hummed and turned in her direction. He wasn't that much bigger than her and was quite lithe. He had black hair longer than Jaune's and reaching down his back. Angular eyes took her in, a bright a vibrant shade of pink.

"Yes," he said, voice even and calm. "Can I help you?"

"I'm planning to join the Azure Archives. It was mentioned that I could visit for a tour?"

"Initiate…" His eyes fell to her robes and the mantle around her neck. "Do you recall who offered that to you? I could try and find them."

"It was Arcanist Merlot."

"The Doctor?" The boy sighed. "He's in another one of his experiments and everyone knows not to disturb him."

She winced. "I could come back later?"

"No, that wouldn't work. I can't even say when to come back; he's always in and out of his chambers with something or another." He looked back down the way he'd come and let out a long breath. "I guess there's no helping it. I'll show you around and answer what questions I have. My name is Ren. Lie Ren."

"Ruby Rose. And thank you, Arcanist Ren."

"Just Ren," he said with a chuckle. "I'm not an Arcanist yet." He flashed his Arcanum, which she noted didn't contain any gems despite his blue robes. "I was an Initiate like yourself last year. I've not been at the Archives all that long, but I should be able to show you around and answer questions."

"Thank you!"

He was older than her, but not by much she'd have said. His angular face suggested someone foreign, maybe from another Collegium. Travel was allowed so long as you made your presence aware to the local Collegium, so that might have been the case. And since she'd been let in at the age of fifteen and put with Weiss who was seventeen, it didn't seem like age requirements mattered. She was sure she'd seen an Initiate over twenty.

"The Azure Archives is primarily a research-oriented Arcana," Ren explained, leading her through the door he'd been heading to. Her eyes widened at the sight of the gigantic library within. Long rows of shelves dotted each wall, reaching up through _five floors_ of balconies. The building looked solid from the outside but had a hollow core in the centre which was the library. The roof was glass, letting in bright light that lit the chamber.

_This is way bigger than the library in the school. I wonder what secrets they have…_

He kept moving, drawing her through a wide path left bare in the middle. Various Arcanists were busy at tables and desks, some large for multiple to talk quietly at, while others sequestered away in corners, a single figure hunched over them scribbling or reading away. Yet more travelled among the aisles of bookcases, while others walked along the balconies above.

"The library is the core of our Arcana, and this library technically _is_ the archive itself. You'll find knowledge here that is unknown to many."

"Merlot said normal people couldn't read it?"

"That's right." Ren picked a random book off a shelf and handed it to her. "Try. There's no harm."

Opening the book to a random page revealed clear parchment. Black pages. "It's empty."

"To you, perhaps, and to anyone not of the Azure." He took it back and put it on the shelf. "A trick you're taught here. It helps to keep our work secret at times, especially since many of our order live and sleep outside the Archives."

"Where _do_ we sleep once we're out the Initiate Halls?"

"In another hall." He saw her face fall and chuckled. "I know. It's not the best answer but that's what it is. To be fair, the upper year halls are better furnished and have larger rooms. You also get a chance to have rooms to yourself if you don't want to share. Once you graduate with a gemstone, more options become available, including living out in the city if you want to. Few of the Azure do," he admitted.

"Because of the secrets?"

"No." He smiled ruefully. "Because it's too much effort to walk all the way back for the Archive."

"Oh…"

"You have to understand, everyone who is here is here because they have some question they want an answer to. Something important to them. Even if they eventually find it, chances are it'll be replaced with something else. Doctor Merlot says it's our nature to be curious and that we draw the curious to us. With the Archives being such a valuable source of knowledge, many of the Azure spend their day here. There's not much desire to move far away from that."

Ren showed her the staircases on either side that led up to the various balcony floors, then drew her out the room and into a corridor lined with doors, each with a sign outside.

"There are four paths leading from the Archives; the whole building is designed like a compass. South takes you to the front entrance, while the North takes you to the storage rooms."

"What's stored here?"

"Books, objects, food, supplies. Some of those can be used in experimentation and you're free to store your own things here, within reason." Ren paused and gestured to the doors around them. "The East and West lead to rooms you can claim for research and experimentation." He touched one of the signs, that read – if she was right – Lie Ren. "This is mine. Come in. I'll show you around."

"Is that okay?" Ruby asked, caught between nerves and excitement. "Isn't this the Arcana of Secrets?"

"That's its dramatic title and there are plenty here who do like to keep their work secret." He pushed the door open. "I'm not among them."

The room was small, but also well-equipped. It wasn't something for sleeping in and though it had a single desk and two chairs, that was all for comfort. The walls were heavily reinforced, the floor was solid stone as was the ceiling. A stack of books was propped up by the desk, one open on top. Notes upon notes dotted the rest of it and were also contained on a shelving unit by the side of that. It was, at best, twenty feet by twenty feet with no windows.

"A testing chamber like this can be claimed for free. If you need bigger, or have more specific demands, you may need to wait for a larger one to free up or rent one. It'll depend on what you want to research."

How big did she need? There was no telling and she might not need one at all if the answers she sought were contained in the Archive itself. If she did, she could decide what kind of room she wanted later.

"What are you researching? If it's okay to ask…?"

"It can be, but it can also not be." At her confusion, he said, "Your question on whether you should ask. There's nothing against curiosity here – it's encouraged – but there are some who will defend their research." He offered her the faintest hint of a smile. "I'm not among those. It can also depend on how… ah… troubling your work is."

"Troubling?"

"Not forbidden research; that's barred. But certain aspects can be problematic to some, so a little discretion is advised. Luckily, mine is fairly ordinary."

He walked to his desk and Ruby followed. His notes were written beautifully, though the curvy writing was a little hard to make out in places. There were a few diagrams, some of the human body and others of what appeared to be a human skeleton. Annotations dotted around them.

"Are you doing medical research?"

"A good guess, but no. I'm trying to find alternative ways to use magic, specifically in strengthening the human body."

Ruby blinked owlishly. "Uh…"

"Consider the flow of your magic," Ren said patiently. "We contain it within our bodies, but we do little more than direct it outward for spells." He demonstrated by summoning a ball of water into his hand. It was a little thing, but she couldn't help but notice how quick he'd been, and how perfectly formed it was. No one in her class could have done the same. It didn't even ripple. It was perfectly smooth. "Whether I use that to make water, fire, ropes of light or even to levitate an object, I'm taking an internal force within my body and exercising it externally. I'm pushing it out of me. Are you with me?"

"Yeah…"

"Now, what I want to know is whether there are ways for us to use it _internally_ as well."

"That… sounds like a really bad idea…"

With her magic especially.

"Oh, not in the same manner." He chuckled and dismissed the water. "I wouldn't want to create a fireball inside my own body, but I'm seeing what happens when magic is imbued directly into the body, into muscles and bones and organic tissue."

"And what does happen?"

"It deteriorates. I don't have any on hand, but the bodies I did use it on fell apart."

Ruby blanched.

Ren noticed. "Animal carcasses," he said, "Remnants from abattoirs in the city."

He could have led with that! Maybe that way she wouldn't have her heart in her throat. Nodding, she slapped her chest to calm down, scowling at his amused smile. It was probably something he got a lot, especially if he was bringing back bloody bodies.

"Right, so, if it doesn't work, why keep trying?"

"Because I want to make it work. Because even if it destroys the body, I want to know _why_ it does and whether that can be prevented." Ren tapped the diagram of the human body. "It may be that the magic destroys because it is not the body's magic. It can't be destroying us right now or we'd surely know. It may be that if we imbue magic into our own muscles, nothing happens. However, I'm not quite prepared to try that without more research."

"Yeah, that sounds like a good idea." Ruby cocked her head, staring at the diagram. "What's the point, though? Other than the sake of knowing, I mean. Is there something you want to use it for? Creating spells like this sounds like an Amber Arcana thing."

"It probably is, to be fair. My interest is more in the why and what will happen than creating new spells, however. Who knows, there could even be medical applications the Emerald Arcana would enjoy. Ways to treat those born with muscular or skeletal disorders. As for me…" Ren trailed off. "I suppose I just want to know. We've always used spells outside our body, always pushed the magic out. What if we're missing something big, something obvious, because we never tried it the other way?"

Ruby thought on that. "I… I guess that would be silly."

"Yes." He smiled ruefully. "I know it's not the best reason in the world, but it's my reason, and sometimes that's all that matters. You'll meet people here with the biggest, most pressing and most dangerous research, and then you'll find those who just want to know why the sky is blue. For many of us, it's the chase that matters. The hunt for those answers, the trials we face along the way and the things we learn and experience." He cocked his head. "You have your own question, don't you? Something you _need_ to have an answer to."

"Yeah. I guess I do…"

"And would it matter if someone told you it was a pointless thing to spend your time on?"

"No. It's not pointless to me." Realising his point, she yelped. "I didn't mean to imply yours was!"

"It's fine, Ruby. I'm not easily offended. Now, let me go show you a few of the larger testing chambers." He pushed her out the room and closed the door. "We'll have to find one that isn't occupied. The last thing we want is to interrupt someone working on-"

A loud crash echoed down the corridor and around a corner. The smashing of wood, shattering of glass and a scream of warning. It was followed by a roar. A bestial, guttural and spine shaking roar. Ruby stumbled back, Ren herding her away with one arm.

"What's happening?"

"Accidents," he said sharply. "Research isn't always safe. Stay behind me."

Another crash and a yell echoed from the corridor, this time voices barely audible, one calling for someone to `stop it` and another just yelling to watch out. A fireball raced across, missing whatever it was and impacting the ceiling of their corridor. It caused smoke to bloom out, blocking sight as Ren backed her away.

A red pin prick opened in the smoke. It was followed by a second.

The smoke didn't clear but the thing within prowled out, a black, lupine shape with a mask of purest white bone split with red lines pulsing with power. The animal – no animal, her mind whispered – paced on gargantuan paws, as tall as the corridor itself and so wide its shoulders scraped along the walls.

"Grimm," Ren hissed. "Here? Merlot, what are you doing?" He pushed her away, Ruby shaking slightly and staring at the monster straight out of Yang's scary stories. It was so much bigger than she'd imagined. "We should leave. Grimm are dangerous but now always immediately aggressive. So long as we don't draw its attention-"

The monster paused suddenly. It sniffed the air, agitated. Its shoulders hunched, its head moving left and right as it snuffled. Stopping suddenly, it levelled its head down on them, eyes piercing straight into Ruby's.

With a victorious roar, it lunged.

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**Oh hey, Grimm. Been a while. And look, Ren! I've not forgotten about the rest of the cast; I'm just trying to introduce them slowly and not force myself to have to write a whole bunch of people at once. It's always a little annoying when I have to try and balance them all.**

**This is my last story before my week off. Merry Christmas to all of you!**

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**Next Chapter: 5****th**** January (TWO WEEKS)**

**P a treon . com (slash) Coeur **


	23. Chapter 23

**Are we late enough that I can stop wishing everyone a happy new year now? Great. Onto the next one. Happy Chinese New Year – in 20 days, anyway. Then it's Happy Valentine's Day! Sod it. Merry Christmas; only 350-odd days to go!**

* * *

**Cover Art:** Z-ComiX

**Chapter 23**

* * *

The monster lunged down the corridor, its shoulders dragging against the walls as it focused all its intensity on the two of them, maw opened wide and teeth dripping with saliva. It was huge; far greater than any hound or wolf and so tall its spikes reached up to grate on the ceiling. Ruby tried to step back, but her legs shook and she fell, landing flat on her behind with one hand out to ward off the beast.

Ren stepped in front of her, his azure robes billowing. He cast out a hand and chanted, _"No path remains barred to me."_

Every door along the corridor snapped open suddenly, slamming out with force that might have knocked a person from their feet. It did nothing to the monster. It smashed through the ones that struck it and kept coming, but it was big. Too big. The doors only opened two foot or so into a corridor far wider, but with its girth filling it wall to wall, the doors became barriers, slowing it down and forcing the Grimm to break through each. It wouldn't stop it, but it had slowed its approach.

"Tch." He flinched when it barrelled through another, trying to step back but bumping into her. Looking down, the fear in his eyes was obvious, but he straightened and faced the looming creature down again. _"Resolute against the dark, light stands as strong as stone."_

A shimmering and flickering wall grew up ten feet in front of them, reaching from floor to ceiling and expanding from one wall to the other. The reflection of light upon what appeared to be a flat surface was the only sign of its existence. Ren held a hand out, face tight with concentration.

The Grimm charged into it with a mighty crash, followed by a foreboding crack. A long, jagged line of white appeared in the air where it hit, and undaunted, it reared back and slammed forward again, panting harshly and with its red eyes fixed on them. Furious at being stopped, it brought forth a paw as big as she was and smashed it into the barrier, forming another spiderweb of white light. Ren gasped and flinched, as though the blow had been to him. His arm wavered and he snapped his other to it, gripping his wrist to hold it firm.

It wasn't going to be enough. The beast continued to howl and had taken to launching its shoulder at the wall again and again, heedless of the barrier or its own safety. It only wanted to break through and kill them.

_Kill it. Kill it, please,_ Ruby thought, shaking like a leaf. It was so much bigger than the stories had ever told. So much faster, crueller and evil. It felt as though its eyes were locked onto her, boring into her soul and promising to rip her asunder.

Another crack appeared on Ren's barrier. The Arcanist grunted.

It was going to break through. A thick claw had already done so, piercing through with a sound like shattering glass. Finding the hole, the monster focused everything on growing it, forcing another claw through and then its tongue, butting its head against the spot, which flickered and bucked under the strain. Ren let go with a cry and stabbed out his other hand. The beast lunged forward, less than eight feet away now, and they both knew it would be his final attempt.

"_Pierce. Wind as sharp as knives!"_

Terrified, Ruby threw her own had forward and whispered, "Die."

Ren's spell shot out a silvery blur that warped the air around it. Beneath, hidden, a thin wisp of black slid in and around it, weaving into the wind and carried along with it, mixing in the air until the wind was a misty grey, something almost indistinguishable in the heat of the moment but painfully obvious to her adrenaline filled mind.

The spell didn't so much strike the Beowolf as it did lunge into it. Wind cut into its face, boring through the bone mask and into blackened flesh. It pierced deep, puncturing a hole. The rest followed, filtering inside.

Claws skittered and skid on the stone, crossing before it and tripping the beast. Its face slammed down, bone cracking as it grated its chin across the floor and slid the final few paces to them. No heaving breaths. No last throes of life. The _corpse_ came to a halt two feet away, as unmoving as if it had never been alive in the first place. Skin and bone began to flake and peel away, lifting and floating off its body as it turned to dust and air before their eyes.

"It's dead…?" Ruby asked.

"Yes." Ren sounded confused. Concerned. He let his arm fall, consternation wracking his face as he looked down at the beast. "It's very much that."

Footsteps echoed on stone as two men came hurtling around the corner ahead and down the corridor. One of them she didn't recognise, but the other was the Arcanist who had invited her to visit the Archives in the first place. Merlot.

"Are you okay?" he boomed, face flushed with exertion and sweat dripping from him. There was blood as well, though it looked to be from a nosebleed and not a wound. He stepped over the Grimm and toward them. "Are either of you harmed? Answer me!"

"No." Ren swallowed and looked back.

"I'm okay," Ruby whispered.

"Thank goodness." Merlot relaxed at last, heaving a breath and slapping a hand against the closest wall. He held his other out toward them, asking for a moment as he tried to collect himself. The other Arcanist was little better, singed robes and a pinched face as they nursed their side with one hand. "That was a mess and no mistake, but if you're unharmed then there's no foul."

"No foul!?" the other Arcanist growled. "Doctor, you let loose a Grimm in the Archives!"

"I did not `let` anything loose, Jean. It `broke` loose. Through several arrays keeping it docile and four barriers – not to mention a two-foot thick stone wall and your own protections. And yes, I'll pay for the research it damaged in your chamber."

"You're damn right you shall! Weeks of research lost!" The Arcanist, Jean apparently, pivoted with a huff, drawing his robes tight. "If there's no immediate danger of Initiates being killed, I shall away. I'm afraid I'll lose my temper and do something I _won't_ regret if I stay."

Merlot waved a hand and the Arcanist stalked away, rounding the corner with a furious growl. He shot her and Ren an apologetic smile. "Forgive Jean. He's normally much more measured, but being put back on research – ah, there's no greater frustration to one of the Azure. I'll have to pay him back and more if I want to earn his forgiveness." Straightening up, Merlot let out a breath. "You killed the Grimm, Ren?"

"I-"

"Yes," Ruby blurted. "He killed it."

Ren shot her a strange look. He knew. Or he suspected. Maybe not the truth, but that something was off. Ruby tried not to panic as he considered her, and after a second's pause, he turned back and said, "I suppose I did. My piercing wind must have struck something important."

"The Crimson always do say its precision over power. Good job."

"Doctor. Why was a Grimm running loose in the Archives?"

"Why?" Merlot snorted. "Because it wasn't supposed to be, obviously. A specimen escaped. Normally, that wouldn't be a problem because it would go for the closest person and I have protections in place. Not today, it seems. Damn thing acted like it had a place to be." Shaking his head, he turned back and watched as the final few motes of the creature vanished. "Now I'll have to find another," he mourned. "You wouldn't believe the favours I had to call in at the Crimson Arcana for this."

Ren crossed his arms. "Are you expecting me to apologise, Doctor?"

"Ha." He barked a laugh. "No. No. You did well. And who is this?" he asked, finally spying her. "An Initiate with the Mantle but not the robe? Ah, from the Initiation fayre no doubt. I remember you. The one from Menagerie."

"It's Ruby."

"Ruby. That's it. Forgive me, I'm terrible with names." Merlot held out a hand and dragged her up. He gave her a quick up and down which confused her for a moment. "No blood. That'll save a trip to the Emerald. They're always on our ass if an experiment causes injury. Seem to think the slightest whiff of danger means we should give up on our ambition."

Once he was sure she wasn't hurt, he let go. Ruby stepped back and brushed her grey robes down, trying not to react to Ren's gaze fixed on her. There was no way he knew the truth or he'd be telling everyone already. All he knew was that she'd cast a spell along with him. There was nothing to say Initiates couldn't know spells.

"I was showing Ruby around the Archives since you were busy," Ren explained. "I didn't expect this level of excitement."

"Hopefully, this hasn't turned you off from the Azure, my dear."

Ruby shifted. "No. I mean, this isn't normal, right?"

Ren laughed. "I'd have grey hair by now if it was. No. This was definitely not normal."

"There are always off days when it comes to research," Merlot said. "Sometimes you find nothing, other days you're set back days and sometimes what you're working on blows up in your face. That's the nature of our work. Of course, only the most dangerous backfires like this – most people here are researching far safer topics." He clapped her shoulder. "This was just bad luck. How about I repay you both with a meal in my quarters, hm?"

Food? Ruby's stomach rumbled.

"Are your quarters safe?" Ren asked.

"They are now that my only test subject has snuffed it. Though a little drafty thanks to a Beowolf-shaped hole in the wall."

/-/

The broken-down wall didn't have a hole perfectly shaped like a monster as she'd secretly hoped. Instead, it was just a mess. The chamber inside was much larger than Ren's and probably more expensive for it. At least fifteen metres by fifteen, there was a large red symbol on the floor that covered a quarter of it by the far corner. Two desks sat on either side, one destroyed and with documents strewn everywhere. Merlot bid them ignore it all, saying he'd clean it up later and instead pulling out his other desk for them to sit at.

A server – neither an Arcanist nor an Initiate – brought two extra chairs and some food for them. Remembering Weiss' nagging, she tried not to eat too quickly, but still ended up finishing minutes before Ren or Merlot did.

"I suppose it's not much of a secret what I research," Merlot said once they'd all finished. "With the extra precautions I need, everyone knows. Even those outside the Archives."

"Grimm?"

"That's right. They're such interesting creatures, don't you think?"

"Not exactly the words I'd use…" Ren muttered. Ruby found herself agreeing.

"Oh, not in the sense of wanting to meet one in the wild," Merlot said with a laugh. "But conceptually. Those beasts need not to eat, drink or sleep. They don't mate, breed or show any kind of social behaviour, and yet they've been found roaming alone, in packs or even herds. Brutally violent toward almost anyone, they show remarkable patience and restraint around other animals, all but ignoring them so long as they don't attack them first or get in the way of prey. Don't you think that's strange?"

Ruby shivered. "It sounds unnatural…"

"Exactly." Merlot leaned forward, his eyes gleaming. "And isn't that interesting? How can something so unnatural exist? Why does it exist? If it doesn't need to eat, why does it hunt humankind? Has it always existed? Why do they dissolve when killed?" He slapped the table. "So many questions and so few answers. The curiosity burned inside me ever since I learned of them. I simply must find out the truth."

That explained why he'd been drawn to the Azure. Also why he talked to new applicants. She doubted there were many more passionate about their work than him. _I can't really blame him since I feel the same about Wildmages._

She had to know, and so did he.

"Isn't it dangerous to bring something like that into the Collegium, though?"

"It most certainly is, my dear. That's why I need special permission."

"Grimm are one of those things considered forbidden in terms of research," Ren explained. "More for the danger of researching them than what someone might find. Doctor Merlot has an exception, however. Granted by the Grand Arcanist himself."

"Really?"

"That's right," Merlot said proudly. "Grand Arcanist Ozpin heard of my work back when I was combing through textbooks and trying to find them in the wild. He approached me. I admit that at first, I was worried he would shut my research down, but he instead gave me permission and resources to study further. Like me, he understands the importance of having knowledge of the world around us. He was of the Azure himself, after all."

Ruby wondered if it had anything to do with the fall of Menagerie, which Blake said had been by the Grimm. Did the Grand Arcanist know, or had they always known the Grimm were a threat? Maybe. They might also just want to know because the Grimm were, as Merlot put it, so strange and aggressive. It made sense to dig deep to figure out what was going on there for the city's protection.

Still, that exceptions to the big rules existed at all was interesting. Was it only the Grand Arcanist who could grant those, or could they be earned another way? If so, it would be too suspicious for an Initiate in her first year to find one. She couldn't afford attention being sent her way.

"What have you found out so far?" she asked instead.

It was the right question. Merlot's face lit up and he dove into a fast-paced explanation that covered more topics than she knew what to deal with. He'd studied their tolerance for pain, how much it took to kill them, their aversion to food and even what happened if you forced it into them – nothing apparently, but force enough and they would die. The Grimm lacked the means to process or work it out their bodies other than through vomiting. They couldn't pee or poop. Some of the experiments sounded weird. Some sounded horrifying, like his claims to have tried to feed _cooked human meat_ to the monster.

"Donated, of course," he assured them. "The Emerald Arcana had to amputate an arm and I bought it from the patient for a generous fee. I wanted to see if it was _living humans_ the Grimm are drawn to, or just their meat."

"And?" Ren asked, as queasy as her.

"It ignored the arm entirely! Incredible, don't you think?"

"Y-Yeah," Ruby said. "Incredible."

"Forgive me." Merlot laughed. "I get wrapped up in my research sometimes and lose myself. It's my passion, you see. You'll have your own if you join and you may find the lengths you go yourself to be surprising to others." He settled the empty plates aside. "I shouldn't keep you any longer. I really am sorry about what happened. Rest assured, I'll be taking steps to strengthen the walls now I know a Beowolf can break through. I'll also have to speak to the Grand Arcanist. I don't expect he'll punish me since no one is injured, but an escape is still something to report." He sighed dramatically. "Not something I'm looking forward to. I'll probably be barred from having another Grimm in the Collegium until my chambers are reinforced. Ah, this will set me back weeks, if not months. How vexing."

Ruby felt like pointing out the fact a Grimm had run loose at all should be the more problematic thing, but neither Ren nor Merlot sounded bothered by it. If anything, it really was the delay on their research that was the issue. That was strange, but also not too bad. If the Azure didn't care about a Grimm running loose, what would they care about her own work? She could do whatever she wanted and get away with it so long as it didn't break the rules.

"The Azure Archives sound like fun."

"It is." Merlot looked pleased with her decision. "The other Arcana may scoff at us pursuing one thing over everything else or tossing aside all the spells we could learn for our curiosity, but I scorn them. Look at them running around trying to gather power for power's sake. Will they be remembered for being strong in a hundred years' time? They're all learning the same magics. They're nothing more than a homogenous collection. A likeminded hive. We delve into new worlds. We explore mysteries they do not even dream of!"

_I was right the first time,_ she thought. _He's the most passionate Arcanist I've ever met._ Strange as it was, she liked that. It reminded her of how she'd been back before she found out she was a Wildmage and when the Arcanists and the Collegium had been the most interesting place in the world. The reality didn't hold up, not with the nobles and their politics, but Merlot was unbowed by it. He hadn't even mentioned his family name or House. He just didn't care.

"I want that," she said. "I have my own mystery I need answers to."

"I knew you would." He smiled at her. "I saw it in your eyes at the fayre. While everyone else was letting themselves be amazed, you thought hard on everything." He reached over to tap her forehead. "There was more going on in here than in the heads of ten other Initiates. Study hard and we shall welcome you, Ruby Rose. Who knows, perhaps you will aid me in _my_ research one day."

He sat back, pleased. "Initiate Ren. Can you escort Ruby out? I hate to be the poor host, but Jean will burst a blood vessel if I don't start making right on my debt to him. Considering the poor man had to run through the halls after a Beowolf, I don't want to push him. He was Crimson before joining us, and I don't want to see what nasty tricks he learned there!"

Ren nodded. "Of course, Doctor. Thank you for the meal."

"Thanks for the meal," Ruby chimed. "And good luck with the Grand Arcanist."

"Thank you, my dear. I may well need it."

/-/

"Doctor Merlot seemed nice," Ruby said as Ren led her out of the Archives. It was getting on in the day, around six and a time when most people were heading back for food. "He's not stuffy like some of the other Arcanists I'm used to."

"The teachers? I know what you mean. For all I wear the Azure Robes, I'm still an Initiate like you. Merlot is an exception to the rule. There are still some haughty members of the Azure, but you're more likely to be judged on your research than your birth."

"Isn't that better? Being judged on your merits?"

Ren chuckled. "I didn't say how well your research goes. There's some stigma toward _what_ you research and how important it is. Merlot is respected because, well, it's Grimm. Myself, not so much."

"Why? Yours sounds interesting."

"Thank you." He flashed her a small smile. "And I personally agree. It's not about interesting or not, however. For some, it's danger. The more dangerous the research, the more… courageous you're seen. Like Merlot, you often need a personal exception from the Grand Arcanist to do it, so earning one is seen as a badge of merit. Something to be paraded around. Others judge you based on how necessary the work is. I expect yours will be seen favourably."

"Eh?"

"Menagerie. You wanted to find out how it fell?"

"Oh right, yeah." That. "Sorry. The Grimm is still in my head."

"Understandable. It's in mine, too. What I was saying was that your research should be seen well. Whatever ended Menagerie is a threat to any Collegium, so you shouldn't find many willing to mock your research. You may even find sponsors."

"Sponsors?"

"Families or individuals willing to provide money, resources or assistance in your work. They'll usually claim a share of the rewards, if any, but often it's just their way of saying they also want to see the mystery answered but can't dedicate their own time to it. Since we're a research Arcana, most of our results are made public anyway – mostly among the Archives, but still. It's not unusual to hear people boasting loudly of their progress in the hopes of earning a sponsor. Materials can be expensive, especially if you're researching something unique."

There was no reason for most people to keep it hidden then. They _wanted_ their work published because that would prove to everyone that they were real Arcanists, that they were people to be remembered. _It's like Merlot said. People who have their works written in the Azure Archives probably live on for thousands of years. Their names are remembered._

"Do you have a sponsor?" she asked. "Or is that rude to ask?"

"It's not rude. Quite the opposite, since most with one will be eager to show it off." Ren smiled lopsidedly. "I don't have one I'm afraid. The Emerald Arcana has shown interest, but they've offered more of a reward if my research comes to anything. That's fine with me, though. Most of my work is theoretical right now, so the money isn't such an issue."

"That's good…"

Ren watched her closely. "Ruby. About what happened back there, with the Beowolf…"

"What about it? You killed it. I didn't thank you for that, did I? Thank you. You saved my life."

"I'm not sure that I did."

"That thing was almost on me and I had no idea what to do," she said, not having to fake her fear. "I just threw something out and hoped for the best, but I didn't concentrate and the spell failed. If it wasn't for you…"

His brows drew down and he looked back to the Azure Archives. From everything she knew, a spell failing that way wasn't unusual. And no one could blame her being distracted. Anything else he thought he saw could have been just that, his eyes playing tricks on him. There was always the chance he'd just gotten lucky and hit something important.

"I suppose you're right. Well, it was a pleasure meeting you, Ruby, the day's excitement notwithstanding." He smiled and bowed his head. "Should you don the Azure Robes, seek me out. I don't mind collaborating on research if it benefits both parties."

"Yeah, I will. And I'm _definitely_ coming back here. Thanks for showing me around, Ren."

/-/

"Lovely people back there."

Yang tried not to jump out her skin as the voice came from nowhere and everywhere at once. Pulling her hood tight around her head, she whispered, "Blake?"

"You expect someone else? Don't look so nervous. You're drawing attention."

The wrong kind, though nothing too bad. People would hear her talking to shadows and assume she'd been on opiates. Ducking into a crevice between two buildings and shooing rats away with her foot, Yang rounded, knowing the Arcanist could only follow behind.

Shadows parted.

That was the only way to explain it. Blake had always been there and looking back in her mind, the darkness had been too oppressive. Too much. Like a blanket being drawn off her, she pushed the shadows aside and stepped out into the light, revealing herself at last. The nearly black cloak was finer than anything found in the slums. Clean and smooth in a way that stood out far too much. Not even Lady Margrove looked so clean, and her girls certainly weren't.

"It's hard to keep an open mind like you asked hearing what they're saying. Stables and whores. Drugs and protection." Blake's jaw and lips could just be made out, tilted down. "What lovely company you and Ruby keep."

"They're not _our_ company and we don't keep 'em. We do what we must to survive, and sometimes that means working with bad people. I'd rather work cracking heads than spreading my legs for every desperate fuck in the slums to forget himself inside." Crossing her arms defensively, she leaned on the wall. "And I doubt Vale has the monopoly on the sex trade. Or even the slums. Go higher and they'll give it different names, but it'll still be young boys and girls with no options."

"I doubt the other districts talk so casually about leaving people to drown."

"I doubt the other districts have to worry about _being_ drowned," she fired back. "They get to sit pretty and watch as the slums fill up, sipping wine and eating fine cheese as _Dredgers_ float by face down." Yang spat on the floor at Blake's feet. "Fuck off with your sanctimonious shit, Blake. What are we gonna do about this? I'm not drowning."

"I could get us through the gates."

"Us?"

"You and me," she said, gesturing. "It wouldn't be hard to weave an illusion over us. Disguise you and conceal me. You could be anyone. Once you're through, we can find somewhere to wait it out."

"Where?" Yang asked. "Fields outside get flooded as well and the Merchant's Quarter is full of people who can afford to rent room to avoid the water. We'll not find anywhere with space, let alone with how little coin we have. Sleeping on the streets is forbidden."

Blake frowned. "Why? It's only for a few days."

"City rules. Can't have our kind mucking up the streets. That's bad for business."

"This city…" The Arcanist sighed and shook her head. "I can find us somewhere. I don't have the run of the whole city – too close to the Collegium and I risk discovery – but if I stick to the Merchant's Quarter, I should be okay. An abandoned shop, home or warehouse shouldn't be too hard to find. I can get us in and conceal us from those looking."

"That keeps us safe," Yang said. "What about everyone else?"

Blake looked confused. "What about them…?"

"Weren't you just calling us callous for only giving a shit about ourselves back there?" Yang jerked a thumb to Mac's with a challenging smile. "I assumed from the way you talked you'd be different. Don't tell me you're saying you're as self-centred as we are."

"I'm trying to save all of Vale from the Grimm!"

"Not from the floods. Right. Got it."

Blake scowled. "Don't make light of what I'm doing. I'd help everyone here if I could-"

"Really? Cuz you were awfully quick to throw Ruby's life away to reach someone in the Collegium." Yang smirked as the Arcanist stepped back, caught off-guard and unable to answer. "Yeah, I thought so. Don't criticise us if you're no better. If we weren't pushed to these extremes, shit like what you saw back there wouldn't go down. If the guards cared enough to punish the ones responsible, Theodore the Alchemist wouldn't be able to hook people on his tinctures and Lady Margrove would be arrested for the shit she lets go on in her whorehouse."

"Why don't you go to the guards?" Blake asked.

"Why?" Yang leaned forward. "Because the _guards_ are her best customers. Because the guards take coin to look the other way, and because even the ones who don't would sooner ignore the shit that goes on here and go about their day, go home and forget we ever existed. You can knife someone in front of them, and as long as you don't make a big deal of it, they'll ignore you."

"That's horrible…"

"Welcome to the slums," Yang said, spreading her arms as best she could. "It's a shithole and we're shit people. We have to be. The good ones drown. Only reason Ruby lived this long is because of what I was willing to do to keep her alive and the favours I earned and owed."

"And now?" Blake asked.

"Now, I have to repay those, which means I'm helping Junior with these tunnels."

"You're going to stay here when the floods come?" Blake asked, sighing. "Yang, that's ridiculous."

"I didn't say that. If we can't find a way out, I'll take your deal. We'll get out and tell Ruby not to worry." Yang watched the Arcanist relax. It wasn't that she was suicidal and she sure as hell wasn't going to _choose_ to stay in the slums when the floods came. "But until then, I _owe_ Junior. I owe him mine and Ruby's life. You can't not repay favours here, Blake. Do that once and no one will ever offer one again. We can't survive without them."

"Fine. I understand. So long as you're prepared to get out when the time comes. I don't want Ruby coming after me. I'll see what I can find out from the Arcanists at the gates. I'll stay hidden," she promised. "Arcanists aren't as inhuman as you think. They will talk, once they feel they're alone. If the Collegium is really looking to intentionally flood the slums, I'll find out."

"And the Huntsmen?" Yang asked. "What if they find you?"

"Don't worry. I've experience dealing with them."

Blake turned away and whipped her cloak behind her. The disturbance in the air caused by it rippled further, spreading over her like a mist. Her cloak became tattered, her frame hunched. Where a young woman in a fancy cloak had entered the alley, a crooked and old lady with a rough shawl exited, limping with the aid of a long stick.

Yang watched her go, not entirely relaxing until the Arcanist was out of sight.

"Sure. And _that's_ not terrifying." Shaking her head, she leaned on the wall. "I sure hope you don't end up acting like her, Ruby. Not sure I could handle that."

In the distance, the first crack of thunder sounded, welcoming the rainy season. As the first raindrop hit her cheek, Yang closed her eyes. It would take time before the waters gathered upriver and washed down the mountain, a week at least, but come they would. In the streets of the slums, people looked up at the sky in fear.

Pulling her hood tight, she stepped out and away, toward the tunnels that had been closed down and taken over by the Arcanists.

/-/

"Another watcher."

Glynda Goodwitch closed her eyes and sighed, knowing that if she turned around to see who had crept up on her, it would be a masked figure without any hint of magic within them. An empty void that chilled the soul. As used to them as she was, their disturbing presence to not register in her mind was a constant bother. It meant they crept up on her even when they tried not to. Calming her racing heart, she looked out into the crooked buildings and slumped rooftops of this cold and dreary place.

"By the third alley," the Huntsmen said. "Hooded. Cloaked. Attempting to be subtle. Convincing, but not enough."

"Magic?"

"No."

"Then leave them be," she said. "We've had watchers aplenty since we moved in here. Arcanists taking over a segment of the Lower Quarter was always going to draw attention. We don't need to cause trouble by apprehending every curious soul who comes look."

"This one does more than look, Lady Arcanist. This one studies."

"Even so. It's not illegal."

They were the invaders here, after all. It was inevitable someone would come find out why. None dared approach of course, the armoured Collegium Guards ensured that, but spectators peered out from the dark. Or had until the rain began and they scurried away for shelter. Glynda saw more than humans scurrying and stepped away as a rat came within a few metres of her.

Disgusting. While vermin weren't uncommon everywhere, they congregated here, flourishing in the cold, wet shadows of the buildings. The stray cats and dogs weren't enough to deal with them all no matter how hungry they were. _This is a horrid job and I'd rather be anywhere else._

"How long will it take?" she asked. "I want these tunnels sealed. I want them all closed off."

"It will take time. Sealing them isn't the difficult part. It's making sure they're not opened again the moment we're gone. If it wasn't for that, we could collapse the exit and entrance and be done with it. The people here use them to escape the floods."

"I know that. But they are not the only ones who can use them."

"Seal them and the people here will drown."

"Allow them to stay open and the Grimm may well have a way right into the city." The red and white gems on her Arcanum glinted as she rounded on the huntsman, her eyes shining fiercely. "I know what the consequences of our actions are, but the safety of Vale must come first. My responsibility is to Vale. That is what it means to be of the White. Seal the tunnels. All of them. I will deal personally with the consequences."

The huntsman watched her for a few long moments, and then tilted his head to the side. Even with his eyes visible, there was so little emotion in them. So little humanity. He was a void in more ways than one and she shivered. His voice, when it did come, was equally empty.

"As my Lady commands."

* * *

**I've decided to try and experiment with shorter and snappier segments for this story. You may notice that for a lot of my stories I don't break off to a new scene ( /-/ ) unless it's a long section, usually at least 1,500 words or so – sometimes as many as 2,000 – 3,000. I've recently started to think I'm holding myself back, though.**

**Quality doesn't count words nor do numbers matter. If I want to write a section that's only 500 words long, then what the heck. Go for it. I'll be trying that out here, which should mean no change to chapter length, but **_**more scenes**_** in a chapter, with each scene (unless it's important) being shorter.**

* * *

**Next Chapter: 12****th**** January**

**P a treon . com (slash) Coeur **


	24. Chapter 24

**Here we go.**

* * *

**Cover Art:** Z-ComiX

**Chapter 24**

* * *

"It was incredible!" Weiss couldn't contain her enthusiasm and hadn't been able to since last night. "I got to walk through hallways with murals painted to show the White's struggles against past enemies of the city, and Venessa – that's the Arcanist who showed me around – told me all about them. Did you know the White _founded_ the Collegium?"

She hadn't, but then she had never really been all that interested either. Ruby hummed.

"It's true," Weiss said. "Apparently, they used to be a sect of Arcanists who would travel the world trying to fix relations between Arcanists and normal people – and they gathered all the wandering magic users into one place, creating the Collegium to teach them and the laws to keep them in check. The other Collegiums were founded to expand that, with Vale being the first!"

"That's interesting." Ruby said it half-heartedly as she worked over a reference book they'd been told to read through two chapters of for class. Weiss had finished that a good hour ago, but then she was more comfortable with reading. It took Ruby time to pour over the pages and string the words together. The words were much more complex than the ones Cinder taught her, and sometimes she thought was reading them right, but the _meaning_ of the word escaped her.

"It is, isn't it? There's so much history there. I feel as though I'm walking in the shadows of giants."

"Is that a good thing?"

"Of course. Who would not be proud to follow the same steps as the first Arcanists?"

"Hmm." Her for one. "Did you learn any spells?"

"No. Vanessa told me that vast tracts of the White Cathedral and its resources would be forbidden to me until I've sworn myself there. I can understand why. The White have the most important jobs in the Collegium, so secrecy is required."

"Most important? That sounds a little arrogant…"

"Oh." Weiss looked conflicted for a second, and then apologetic. "I didn't mean it like that. It's just that the White has a goal it works towards – and that goal is to protect the peace. You can't argue that's not more noble than some of the others, can you? The Black just want to make things to be famous and the Amber want to create spells for the same reason."

Though she wasn't so rude as to say it, Ruby heard the same for the Azure. After all, they just wanted to sate their curiosity, which in Weiss' eyes couldn't be as grand a goal.

"You know, you're not locked into any choice yet," she said. "Why don't you come down to the White Cathedral with me next time? I'm sure they'd be happy to show you around. Maybe I can even show you the murals."

"I'm fine with my choice, Weiss."

"Are you sure? I'm not saying the Azure is a bad choice…"

"Weiss."

"Alright." Weiss sighed, disappointed. "Maybe for your second Arcana?"

"Maybe," Ruby hedged, already knowing it wouldn't be. The words on the page continued to thwart her and she closed the book with a frustrated sound.

"Are you okay?"

"Mm. Just tired of reading. I'm going to get some fresh air."

"I didn't upset you, did I?"

"No." Ruby smiled to show her roommate it wasn't that. "You're just excited about the White. That's fine. I'm the same with the Azure. I just have a headache trying to read through all that and want to clear my head."

"Will you be staying out all night again…?"

The surges had yet to return, though she could feel them building now that she knew what to look for. It was a light itch at the moment, a far cry from the burning need it had been before. It helped that they were casting a few more spells in class, but it was still building. In time, she'd have to go burn it off again, but with Blake helping that should be a safer task. Not now, though. It was just the odd bout of pins and needles for now.

"No. I just want to go for a walk. Back in an hour probably."

Weiss accepted with a nod and sat on her bed, pulling out her own book and reading through it as Ruby pulled on her initiate robe with the hood and slipped out.

/-/

The dorms were still somewhat active, people chatting in the halls or snacking down in the common rooms. Walking past those without a word and dodging Martyn before he saw her, she slipped out into the cool evening air and wandered off toward the river.

The water rushing through it was stronger now. It lapped up the banks and splashed on her boots, rushing down toward the metal grates that would keep anyone who fell in from being swept away. Not that it was strong enough to do that yet. _It'll be the flooding season soon._ As much as she didn't like admitting it, she was glad to be away from that. _I hope Yang will be okay. I'll have to try steal and deliver her some more things before then so she can afford to get back on track._

That Yang might die didn't cross her mind. They'd survived the floods year after year and Junior looked after his own. Even if he didn't, Blake would see Yang safe to keep herself from any vengeance.

Everyone else. You couldn't save everyone. Crisis had a tendency of bringing out the best in people, but even with people working together to comb through the wreckage for survivors, many didn't make it. The water itself wasn't the most dangerous part, though it did claim lives each year. Rotten buildings collapsing after claimed more, weakened from the water, while illness and disease and starvation took a much larger toll. All of that could be avoided with enough money to buy food, medicine or shelter.

Yang would be okay.

_I wonder what it's like to see the floods from up here. _Ruby sighed. _Guess I'll find out._

Grass crunched behind her. "That's a big sigh for such a small person."

The voice was familiar. So was the person. Wearing a cloak with the hood down, Jaune stood in the grass, arms at his sides and a weary smile on his face. He wasn't wearing his armour, but instead a pale grey tunic top over brown hose, a red cloak over it all. Ruby leapt up, lurching over in her hurry to run him down.

"Jaune!"

He caught her with a laugh, arms wrapping around her back as he was forced back a step from the impact. "Hey Ruby," he said weakly. "Good to see you as well."

Pushing back, she looked him up and down. He didn't just sound weak – he looked it. Pale face, lines under his eyes like he hadn't slept well and sunken cheeks. His skin was pallid as well, thin like parchment. Of the wound Weiss mentioned, she couldn't see much remaining other than the way his left hand held onto her with less strength than the right.

"Are you okay?" she asked. "You look like death."

"I feel it. Just got off from work. It's always like this, don't worry. A good meal and a long rest and I'll be right as rain."

She wasn't sure she believed it'd be that easy. Looking up into his eyes, she saw a flatness that didn't suit him. It might have been exhaustion, but he looked like he wasn't all there. Like half his brain was engaged with her and the other half had already fallen asleep. "Should you be out here? Sit down." She tugged him to the grass, and he didn't fight her. "Do you need a drink? Food?"

"…"

"Jaune!"

"Hah?" He flinched, zeroed in on her and chuckled. "Sorry. I phased out there a little. What was it?"

"Food. Drink. Do you need?"

"No, no." He waved his hand. "Don't think I'd be able to keep it down anyway. I just wanted some fresh air, then saw you and wanted to see you. It's been a lonely week back there." He scratched the back of one glove with his other hand. "Not fun."

"In the Sanctum…?"

Jaune flinched and looked around but they were alone and it was late. Even if there were other people coming and going, the steady babbling of the river masked their voices. "Yeah. The Inner Sanctum. I've been there all week."

"What goes on in there?"

"I can't tell you." He smiled. It wasn't his best, but he didn't look his best, so she let it go. "It's nothing dangerous," he assured her. "At least not for me. It's tiring, though. I always come out feeling spent physically and mentally."

"Do you have to look after worse prisoners?"

"Ruby…"

"Is it where the really bad people are kept?"

He poked her nose with one finger. "I can't tell you. Let it be."

Ruby pouted.

"What have you been up to?" he asked.

She was quick to tell him, filling him in on everything from the Arcana fair to the choices they'd made, her sojourn in the Azure Archives and how Weiss was going on and on about the White. He listened intently, genuinely seeming to enjoy her story. By the end of it, he looked more aware. More himself. He laughed and rubbed a hand through his hair, making Ruby feel relieved.

"Sounds like you've picked an interesting Arcana. I have to admit I'm glad you didn't pick the White."

"Do they work with the Sanctum?"

"Not inside it. They're as bothered by what it does as any other Arcanist. Their focus is related to it, however." He smiled crookedly. "Let's just say they're not always the best people to hand around with."

Ruby stilled. "Is Weiss in danger?"

"Hm? Oh no, I didn't mean bad people. Just… dull, I guess." He looked away with a sigh. "All work and duty and responsibility. You've seen it with Lady Schnee already, haven't you? They're all very self-important – and for good reason – but I think I prefer your innocent curiosity. It's more charming."

Blushing, she hit him in the side. It didn't feel like he was flirting, but it was still more than she got from most people. "Are you saying I'm naïve?"

"More that you're fun to hang around. I'd rather listen to a friend talk about some incredible mystery than go on about duty and honour. Tell me you're any different."

Ruby grinned. "I can buy that. Weiss is _killing_ me…" Mimicking her voice, Ruby said, "The White Arcana stands as a shield for the Collegium. They are the best and most awesome, looking after the people while they all live their normal lives."

It wasn't the best impression of Weiss, but it had Jaune laughing.

"Sounds about right!" His own voice became gruffer, imitating someone she'd never met. "We do what we must, not because we wish to but because no one else will. That means sacrifice, young man. Nothing in this world is achieved without it. Neither I nor you are exempt from that."

Ruby didn't laugh. "Who said that?"

"Ah." Jaune appeared to recognise he shouldn't, or couldn't, answer that. "Someone I know. A White Arcanist. My work involves them, or more often reporting to them. I don't do much work outside the Collegium though, so I'm usually spared it. Let's just say I prefer dealing with _happier_ Arcana and leave it at that."

She watched her friend closely, seeing how he wouldn't meet her eyes. He looked tired still, but not the sleepy kind of tired. A restless and nervous energy was visible. His fingers kept twitching as well, and he was constantly rubbing the palm of one hand and then the other, stroking over his thin gloves to scratch an itch that wouldn't go away.

"Are you okay?" she asked again. "Really, I mean. I'm worried…"

"I'm…" Jaune made to say he was fine and then didn't, perhaps seeing her thoughts on her face. "I'm tired," he admitted. "I've been locked away on my own for days. Can we just… sit here? No questions? I… I don't want to be alone right now."

In answer, Ruby shifted over so their hips were touching and laid her hands over her knees, which she brought up to her chest. They watched the river rush by quietly, the people come and go and the activity outside the dorms go silent as night fell and people headed back inside. The air turned cooler, chilling their skin and making her push into him a little harder for warmth. Ruby made to ask if he wanted to go inside when she heard his breathing even out.

He'd fallen asleep.

Sun found them like that fifteen minutes later, Ruby refusing to move as Jaune slept on her shoulder. The faunus smiled and nodded at her, then stooped and picked his friend up, adjusting him over one shoulder. Jaune didn't once wake up, even as the bigger boy whispered a thank you to her and carried him back to the barracks.

Sighing, Ruby returned to her own room, head full of questions.

/-/

"It's Grimm."

Yang liked to think she was getting used to Blake, but that didn't mean she'd stopped jumping out her skin when the Arcanist would pop up behind her and speak like that. "Fuck, Blake," she hissed. "Can't you come in the door like a normal person?"

"You told me to stay hidden from your employer, so no."

_Smug bitch._ Yang ignored the cocky smile and let the Arcanist sit down. "Grimm, you say?"

"Yes. That's why they're interested in the tunnels. I shadowed an Arcanist until they passed on a message to a guard. It was sealed, but I managed to waylay the guard, steal the message read it and then convince the guard someone mugged him. With how desperate people are this close to your floods, it seemed possible."

It wasn't. An Arcanist like Blake may not fully have understood just how intimidating she and her kind were, and how dangerous it was on a political level to mess with the guards. That said, the Arcanists in the Collegium would be just as in the dark, so while it wouldn't fool anyone down here, it might work on someone up top.

People in the higher tiers thought they were all idiots after all.

"Have Grimm snuck into the city then? That sounds like something I'd have heard about, especially since the tunnels come in down here."

"No." Blake shook her head and drew her hood back, spilling her long black hair down and revealing her ears. How she kept her hair looking so soft, Yang had no idea. Magic, probably. "There haven't been any Grimm yet, but for the Collegium to start paying attention now supports my theory that Grimm numbers are increasing."

"How so?"

"Well they obviously knew about the tunnels for a while, but they've chosen to act now."

There was little arguing with that. The tunnels were a pretty big hole in the defences of the city, but no one cared. Vale didn't have any enemies or a war to fight, and since the tunnels only led in and out of the slums, it wasn't like anyone important was at risk. Some of them were better kept secrets than others, but since the Arcanists had taken all of them over, it looked like their secrecy hadn't been good enough.

"So, they're doing this on the _chance_ of Grimm," she said. "Great. Wonderful."

"It's not as horrible as it sounds. The Grimm _did_ destroy Menagerie. This isn't some imagined threat or an overreaction on their parts."

"Except they don't _know_ Menagerie was wrecked by Grimm."

Blake shrugged one shoulder. "They may have figured it out, or perhaps it's simply a precaution. Either way, they're not going to let any new tunnels be constructed. I can't imagine mining through solid rock is quiet and they're monitoring the walls. Any attempt to dig new ones will draw a reaction."

Yang shivered. "Deadly?"

"I shouldn't think so. The last thing they want is to start a panic. You'd likely be arrested and incarcerated, with the excuse given of damage to the walls. They wouldn't kill you."

"It's as good as, Blake. To be imprisoned here is to die."

Blake's brows drew down. "How so? I was under the impression prisoners were treated fairly and given trial."

Yang cocked her head and waited.

"Don't tell me it's a Dredger thing?" Blake asked with a silent groan. "Let me guess. Dredger prisons for Dredgers, and those regularly have the prisoners beaten to death? Am I right?"

"Close but not quite. It's not _that_ ridiculous." Yang brought both hands up. Opening one, she said, "Prison. A cell you can't escape out of." Then, she opened the other. "Rising water levels due to flooding." Bringing her hands together, she clasped them. "You can figure out what happens."

Blake looked sick. "They don't release the prisoners!?"

"Oh, they try. The guards are crooked – not monsters – but it's everyone for themselves when the storm hits and it's all you can do to survive. Imagine loads of people trying to flee a prison in panic, meanwhile a limited number of guards are trying to let more out. It's not a recipe for calm and orderly, especially not with the water level rising. You'll see it yourself soon enough."

"We're not staying here for it," Blake warned her. "Don't think I'll let you."

Yang scoffed. "I'm no idiot. When the rain comes, I'll gladly let you take me to safety. Until then, there's shit that can be done. Some try and build boats-"

"Does that work!?"

"It can." Not normal boats, and not to sail away on, but rafts could at least offer some protection provided they were kept from smashing into buildings. "And there are some taller buildings that can be safe from it, provided they don't collapse. People will congregate there. Even some merchants that set up aid facilities on the borders."

"And here I was under the impression everyone hated you."

"Hate doesn't mean wanting to see someone killed. You'll see soon enough." Yang sighed and stood.

"Where are you going?" Blake's eyes narrowed. "You're not challenging the Arcanists, Yang. I won't let you."

"Wow. And I didn't realise you were so concerned for my wellbeing. Relax. I'm off to market. This close to floods, people start banding together. You can find a way out if you're lucky. It's easier to afford somewhere dry to stay on another tier if you pool coin and share a room with a couple other families. Others try and eke it out in the outskirts."

"Isn't that dangerous?"

"Sure, but it's less so if there are twenty or thirty of you working together. And they'll only be out there for a week or two. That's how long it takes for the water to drain." Yang tossed her head. "Come along if you like. You might learn a thing or two. See we're not all selfish pricks out for our own hides."

"I never said you were."

"Heh. Sure. And I bet you didn't think it either." Turning away, she tossed on her heavy cloak. "You coming or not? Hard to make sure I don't come down with the crazies and spontaneously attack an Arcanist if you're not there to watch over me…"

With a dramatic sigh, Blake stood. "Alright."

/-/

Lessons went by in a blur for Ruby and most of the other students. So soon after the fair, everyone was too excited about their choices to pay attention. Malneux continued to boast about the Crimson Arcana and how he was already receiving training, something Ruby thought an empty boast, while everyone else mixed again with people wearing similar mantles. The three in class who wore Azure mantles approached her with a half-hearted offer to join them for dinner, but Weiss made a point of not doing so with the other White students – there were a lot of those – so Ruby did the same.

Weiss seemed pleased about that at least. The split in class was fairly dramatic. Crimson, White and Black were the most common choices. Emerald had a few, while Azure and Amber were by far the lowest, Amber having only two students to the Azure's four. _Makes sense. Developing spells from nothing is probably a lot harder than learning new ones._

The teachers either knew in advance that focus would be low or were feeling generous. They were let go an hour earlier than usual, though with the threat that there'd be no such liberties allowed after the weekend.

"Won't you let me show you around the White Cathedral?" Weiss asked again. "Just a brief visit. I promise I won't ask again if you agree."

"Weiss, come on." Ruby sighed around her food. "I said I'm not interested in the White."

"But you haven't even met them. The Grant Arcanist was in the White Arcana."

"And Azure," she pointed out. "And Black and Crimson."

"Yes, but he was in the White first."

"Weiss." Ruby sighed again, slumping over her meal. "I know you're excited and all, but I really don't think it's for me. It sounds way too serious." Even without being a Wildmage, she thought she wouldn't have liked it. "I'll consider it for my second," she lied. "I've got to go off tonight."

"Are you going to the Sanctum again?"

Several people within hearing distance gasped and listened in. Ruby shot Weiss an irritated scowl and to her credit, Weiss apologised silently back. "I am," she said, choosing not to mention the venue even if everyone listening in already knew. "There are interesting people there. They have good stories."

"They're criminals."

"So? I'm not trusting them with money or anything."

"I suppose." Weiss rolled her eyes, still unable to understand what she might see in the place. That was fine with her. Aside from having Cinder, the anti-magic field (if that was what it was called) helped alleviate the itching from her surges. It was still at a level too low to worry about, but it was there. Tangible and a constant reminder.

Ruby excused herself once she'd finished eating, taking her chance to leave before people could get curious enough to follow. If they dared. Jogging away from the main school building and the food hall, she ducked between older Arcanists going about their day and made her way to the tall hedges of the Sanctum, nodding once to a guard on the gate who by now recognised and let her in. Arcanists weren't banned from entering, but she wasn't even questioned anymore.

Inside, she reported to the Sanctum Guard on the front desk and accepted her purple cloth, that would mark her as staff and let her avoid questions. Ruby waited for him to write her name down and then spoke, "Um. You're a Sanctum Guard, right?"

The man was at least fifty, maybe even sixty, with white hair and thin skin. He looked up at her with deep blue eyes, flat in a way that made her uncomfortable. When he smiled, it didn't quite look right. Not vicious or creepy, but not all there. Like he was going through the motions. "I am. You want to ask something? It's obvious on your face."

Ruby dithered. "Is it allowed?"

"You won't be punished for asking, but you may ask something I can't answer." The man shrugged. "If so, I'll just tell you. Don't worry. I won't bite."

Hearing that from him made her shiver a little. It wasn't the joke itself – she'd heard that before – but the toneless way he delivered it. "I… I have a friend. He works here sometimes."

"Jaune Arc."

Ruby winced. Well, there went any hope of subtlety. She'd have asked how he knew, but she came here enough times with him for it not to matter, plus they'd probably heard how Jaune had to escort her around.

"Yeah. He's not told me anything, but he was doing some work in the Inner Sanctum…"

"I can't tell you anything about that."

"I know. I know. He told me." Ruby couldn't meet the man's eyes. They were peering down on her. Nervously, she babbled out, "He came out yesterday and he looked awful. Really bad. I'm not asking what happened but… is there something I can do to help make him feel better?"

The Sanctum Guard stopped smiling. "You wish to help him?"

"Yeah."

"Why?"

Why? Wasn't that obvious? "Because he's my friend."

"Of course." The man leaned back. He didn't smile. "Pardon my question. It's rare to find Arcanists and our kind so close. I won't argue with it, however. On helping him. Hm. I would suggest that you make him eat plenty of lean, red meat if you can. Fish is also good, as is chicken. Lentils and beans for vegetables. Also make sure he drinks a lot. Water for the most part. He may not feel thirsty, but he should know to drink. If he feels faint, make him sit or lay down. It should wear off within a few days, but he may have dizzy spells."

That was a lot of information. More than she expected. "O-Okay. Anything else?"

"Keep him from doing much with his hands. He shouldn't be training and while Alabaster Winchester knows that and won't let him, that's not to say he won't do so on his own. Some try to wear off their dizziness through exercise."

"And that's a bad idea?"

"Not dangerous, but ill-advised. He could hurt himself or pass out."

That sounded bad. Really bad. The urge to tell Jaune to stop entirely was present, but she knew that wasn't going to be an option. "He won't have to do this again soon, will he? Whatever it is? If he feels that bad, he should get some rest."

There was a flicker of _something_ in the man's blue eyes. It faded quickly but she smile he offered was just a little more real. "He won't. There is a minimum waiting time before this. He won't be called on again for at least twelve weeks, possibly more."

"That's good." She sighed happily. "Thanks for helping me, sir."

"Not a problem. There is one other thing. If you truly wish to be a friend to him. More than telling him to eat, drink and rest easy, there is something he may need more, especially as his studies in the Sanctum progress."

Ruby listened. "What's that?"

"Help him remember."

"Remember…?" Ruby waited for more, but the man wouldn't give it. "Remember what?" she asked.

"Whatever he needs."

He sat back again, apparently done with the conversation. So was she, she supposed, that parting comment aside. Ruby nodded and turned away, wondering why it was he felt so strange. And old. It was weird for a veritable grandpa to be manning the front desk. Before she did climb the stairs, however, she paused and turned back. Weiss' lessons echoed in her head.

"I never asked your name…"

The man paused in scribbling something down. "My name?"

"It's rude of me to not call you anything. Can I ask it? Is that allowed?" The more she asked, the more nervous she felt. _Why did I bother? I should have just kept going and talked to Cinder._ "You don't have to tell me if you don't want. Forget I asked."

"Nicholas."

The response made her pause in her retreat. "Eh?"

"My name." He chuckled. Again, it was just a sound. "I'm told it's Nicholas."

"You're… told…?"

"That's what I said." He looked back down, writing. "Be on your way now. I have work to do."

/-/

Cinder welcomed her with a hug and had her sit down and regale her of stories from outside the Sanctum. As much as Ruby despaired on having to run over everything again, she knew this was the only news Cinder received of the world outside and did so. She told the other Wildmage about the Azure Archives and what took place there, and of her hopes that the Archives might hold the secrets of the Wildmages.

"It's a possibility," Cinder said. "A good one. While the White has the most reason to hold such knowledge, I doubt they would part with it. It's not in their best interests to have people questioning their decisions."

"Do you know any White Arcanists?" Ruby asked.

"One or two come here. Reluctantly. I've not been questioned by them myself, but I've listened in on others who have. They pay remarkably little attention to who is nearby." Cinder frowned. "I suppose they don't see it as a problem since we will never escape."

Ruby shifted awkwardly.

"My apologies." Cinder chuckled. "I didn't mean to sour the mood. Needless to say, they're not the best avenue for finding the truth. From what you've told me, the Azure might be. It seems unlikely that none of them have ever been curious as to the origins of Wildmages."

"That's what I was thinking. _Someone_ has to have looked into it. Maybe even there's still someone who is!"

"There isn't."

Her face fell. "How do you know?"

"Because I am the only Wildmage here and questioning me is but a short task for them. I have never been questioned by an Azure Arcanist, however, not even out of curiosity."

And since she'd been here for ten years now, that meant no one within that time had bothered. Ruby tried to hide her disappointment. "Well, there might still be people in the past who did. I won't know until I can read their books."

"True. It's not impossible. Sadly, it looks like I won't be able to help you. Magic is almost certainly involved in their tomes, and even should you teach me how to see through it, it probably won't work in the Sanctum." Cinder removed a book from her table. It was, to Ruby's surprise, blank. "You could transcribe details for me, though. Mundane writings."

"Copy their books? That sounds dangerous."

"Being a Wildmage in the Collegium is dangerous, Ruby. This is nothing compared to that."

True. Ruby took the books and hid them under her robes. "The floods are coming soon…"

Cinder paused. "Is your sister safe?"

"Yang knows what to do and Blake will look after her."

"Then what bothers you? And don't say nothing."

She didn't try. Sitting on Cinder's bed, she let out an unhappy sound. "I guess it just feels unfair that I get to escape it all while everyone else doesn't. I know I didn't ask for this and it's not a great thing, but everyone in the slums will be wondering whether they'll still be alive in two or three weeks' time. Meanwhile, I'm eating fine food and learning to read." Ruby shrugged. "Feels like I'm betraying everyone by not doing something to fix it."

"And what could you do?"

"I dunno. Nothing, I guess, but I could try. What's the point of having all this power if I can't help anyone?"

"What's the point, indeed?" Cinder asked. "I never thought of that when I was young and wealthy, but I do find myself pondering on it now. What does the Collegium stand for? Why do they lock us away? Why limit the Arcana? Why?" Her eyes narrowed. "What is the point of it all? The goal at the end?"

Neither of them had an answer.

"What do _you_ think?" she asked Cinder. "I know you said I should make up my own mind, but what's yours?"

Cinder remained silent for a few seconds, considering whether she should speak or not. Last time, she'd said she didn't want to taint Ruby's own perceptions, but she looked chattier now. Maybe she was just lonelier than ever or maybe having only one person in the world who _did_ talk to you, made you want to keep talking back.

In the end, Cinder spoke. "Control. I think it's to control us."

"You mean Wildmages?"

"No. All magic users. You limit the Arcana to limit the Arcanist, ensuring that no matter how much you master your chosen field, you can never be without weakness. Meanwhile, those with talent are locked away in the Collegium like prisoners, inundated with information and rewards to condition them into believing they _want_ to be here, at which point they're slotted into easily controlled groups."

"The Arcana?"

"Yes. Each can oversee their own, moulding and pushing them in certain directions to keep them _safe_ and _contained_ within the walls. By the time you're earn a gemstone and are able to leave, you're one of them in mind and soul. You've been conditioned to think like they do, uphold their values and keep the same charade going."

"You're taught to forget your noble roots and families because they want you to align with them, not your family. Meanwhile, they can hold the promise of freedom and a gemstone over your head until they know you won't be a _problem_ outside. Be too wilful and I imagine you'll never leave. Of course, even if you do, true freedom won't ever be yours. You are recorded in this and every Collegium in Remnant, ensuring that you can never approach civilisation again without being recognised, detained and forced to join the nearest Collegium."

"It's to control you," she said, sneering. "To control all who might use magic, Arcanist or Wildmage, and make sure they're upholding standards the _Collegium_ demands. And if you step out of line, the Red and White will be there to force you back in. Or remove you entirely."

Ruby understood why Cinder had said her opinion might sway her. That it would be so cynical wasn't unexpected given how poorly the Collegium had treated her, but this was awful. She wasn't sure what to make of it. None of it was impossible, but no one here acted like they were under duress. Cinder explained that away, but was _everyone_ so easily manipulated?

"Do you really think it's that bad?"

"Yes. However…" Cinder sighed and closed her eyes. "I see the Collegium from behind a window of bars and anti-magic. Take my opinion with the salt it deserves. I hate the Collegium and everything it stands for."

"Do you hate me…?"

"No." She reached out to cup Ruby's cheek, rubbing a thumb beneath one silver eye. "You may wear their colours, you may learn their lessons and dwell in their halls, but you are a Wildmage, Ruby. Nothing will ever change that. Not you, not me…"

Cinder sneered.

"And certainly not _them_."

* * *

**Small movements here. More to happen next chapter, which will involve a short time skip of a few weeks. On other characters like Nora, Pyrrha and such, I'm introducing them slowly. I don't want to be forced to throw them all out at once and mish-mash them together, especially since their circumstances will be drastically different in this story, and thus they'll deserve more an introduction to each like Ren had.**

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**Next Chapter: 19****th**** January**

**P a treon . com (slash) Coeur **


	25. Chapter 25

**This whole weekend has been one of my busiest in a long while. It's twelve noon, I have a lesson this afternoon (and had one this morning) and my nephew's twenty-first birthday party to attend this evening. Right then. Let's crack this shit out quick. Time trial mode.**

* * *

**Cover Art:** Z-ComiX

**Chapter 25**

* * *

It hadn't stopped raining for two days.

It was something Yang was used to, as was just about everyone in the slums. The only person who wasn't used to it was Blake, and she took an inordinate amount of pleasure in watching the Arcanist pout and fume, hiding under her hood and complaining how rain tickled her faunus ears and made her fur wet. It wasn't her being vindictive. Not at all.

This afternoon – though it felt like evening with the dark rainclouds – they were out in the market square. Something that was neither a square nor designed as a market. It was really just an open space of ground the slums used as that. Coin didn't often change hands here, but trades were common. A bit of cloth for some food. Food for a favour. Your firstborn for a load of bread. Or not in that case, but it felt like it normally.

Not today. With the early rains already here, they all knew the floods would come about a week behind. It rained up the mountain first and took time before the rivers burst their banks. Yang sat on a stone step ignoring the water that soaked her clothing and listened to people planning for the floods.

"Why are we here?" Blake asked, huddled beside Yang with her hands buried in her cloak. Rather than sit with her, she rested on her heels, afraid to get her ass wet. Afraid to get anything wet. Apparently, Menagerie was a lot warmer than Vale. Blake had more on than anyone else, yet she was still shaking.

"Why not be here?"

"Because it's cold, wet and miserable. Give me a reason."

"We're here," she explained with a little laugh, "Because it's considered the right thing to do. People come here to plan and work together to survive what's coming."

"But we already have a way out. We don't need more."

Yang sighed. "It's not about helping us. It's seeing if there's anything we can do to help others."

"I was under the impression only you and Ruby mattered."

"Then you're under the wrong impression." Yang eavesdropped on some people nearby talking about shoring up one of the taller buildings. They were going to invite people in and use it as shelter. Many hands made light work and they might be able to get it watertight in time. "I wasn't always one of Junior's enforcers, you know. Once upon a time me an' Ruby were just street brats trying to get by. We wouldn't have survived the floods alone."

Blake looked over. "Someone helped you?"

"Yeah. Local shopkeeper took every kid he could fit into his home and had us sleep on the second floor. It was cramped and wet, but the building held. Ground floor was flooded through." That was a long time ago and the shop was gone now. "It was terrifying. Whole building creaking and groaning like it was going to come down. Our saviour told us stories to keep us distracted until the floodwater drained away. We all lived. Others weren't so lucky."

"Sounds like a good person. What happened to them?"

"Died." Yang grinned. "Syphilis."

"Ah."

"He was a bit of a whore-monger from what I remember. Real bastard at times. Used to pelt you with stones if you tried to steal any food from his shop. He had a reputation for breaking fingers if he caught you."

"And yet he let you into his home to hide."

Yang shrugged. "Just cause you act one way doesn't mean you're always like that. He was a cantankerous old bastard, but he wasn't evil." Yang held up her left hand and drew attention to her littlest finger, which was a little crooked. "The rumours were accurate though."

"He broke your hand!?"

"To be fair, I was hiding under a cupboard after stealing some sausage meat and he stepped on them without noticing." Yang grinned and waved her hand away. "Worth it. You ever tasted sausage before?"

"Yes," Blake said. "Whenever I wanted to."

"Tch. Alright for some. Was our first time and Ruby looked like she was dying of bliss. Worth a little pain for that." They did what they had to. Such was life. "Anyway, I made it a habit to come back ever since. People have helped us with food, shelter and more in the past. Like to see if I can't pay it back some way by helping anyone else."

"And have you?"

"Once or twice. Little things." Less than she'd have liked, but she didn't own a place to keep people. "I've helped reinforcing homes and carrying stuff. Me and Ruby were on fishing detail last year and that helped a couple of people."

"I suppose fish _would_ be swept down with the river," Blake said.

"We weren't looking for fish…"

Blake didn't say a word.

"People do what they have to," she said, gesturing to several older women arguing. "You look after yourself first, but once you've got that sorted, you can look to helpin' others. Have a look in a few days. You'll see people come to leave their children with those three."

"Do they run an orphanage?"

"Ain't no orphanages here. They're weavers. Widows. Own a place between them and can take a small number of kids to look after."

"And the parents?"

"On their own – but it's easier to survive if you're not looking after young, and at least they know their kids will be safe."

Blake hummed. "I guess crisis brings out the best in people."

"Yeah." Yang snorted and stood. "Good ol' crisis. Come on. We're helping build a raft with some guys from Mac's. Don't suppose you can do anything subtle to make it float better?"

"Not my expertise. I can try. This is important to you, isn't it?"

"Hm. If people don't stick together, they die." Yang shoved her hands into her cloak and shook off the water. The rain still pelted down, splattering off the streets. "People stuck by us and now it's my turn to stick by them."

"Even if Junior had a way out for you?"

"Even then."

/-/

"You need to drink."

"Ruby, I'm fine." Jaune pushed away the glass being offered, or forced, into his jaw. He laughed, though it was a little less good-natured and a little more annoyed by now. "It's been a week. This was sweet and cute five days ago. I'm fine."

"Bro, a cute girl is doting on you. You're not meant to complain."

Jaune shot Sun a glare while Ruby giggled and Weiss only sighed. The four of them were sequestered under one of the many sheltered gazebos set up around the Collegium, enjoying the cool air as the rain fell. It was a novelty to her, considering rain before had always been the harbinger of pain. Seeing it now, hearing it chime among the leaves and patter down on the wooden roof, she could understand why some found it beautiful.

"I'm better," Jaune insisted, pushing the glass away. "And any more drink and I'll explode. As for you, Sun, maybe the fact you act like that is why you don't have a cute girl doting on _you_, hm?"

"Ack." Sun gripped his chest. "Too cruel. Lady Weiss, please, defend my honour."

Weiss flipped a page in her book. "Pass."

Ruby inspected her friend for a few seconds. He _did_ look a little more colourful than he had for the last few days. The worst had been when she found him outside, so washed out of colour that she'd thought she was looking at a painting that had worn dry. His cheeks were redder now, his eyes brighter. He'd also become much chattier, more like his usual self. Grudgingly, she put the glass down.

"I was told you'd need plenty of meat and drink."

"And Sun forced it down my throat thanks to your insistence."

Ruby flashed the faunus a smile. Sun grinned back, winking. It hadn't taken long to find him, or to convince him to help her look after Jaune. As his roommate, Sun could make sure he didn't hide away or avoid the food that would make him better. "It worked," she said.

"Yeah. We'll accept out unending gratitude anytime now, your highness."

"I'm not-" Jaune sighed, seeing he was being ganged up on. "Thank you both. I have no idea what I'd do without you."

"Probably have an easier life," Weiss remarked.

Jaune smiled. "Probably. But that sounds boring."

"Glad to hear we're so entertaining," Sun said. "And speaking of boring, I can't believe I'm saying this, but I _miss_ training. Can't believe so many of the newbies got sick. Bunch of weaklings. In my day, we'd have never-"

"Sun. You got sick in your first year…"

Ruby giggled again at Sun's betrayed expression, before she asked, "Is there an infection going around?"

"Nothing so dramatic," Jaune explained. "A combination of the weather, being away from home and getting used to a new environment has a lot of the new recruits coming down ill. They all share the same barracks, so it spread like wildfire. It does every year. They call it `Newblood fever`. Burns itself out within a week or two but has everyone moaning and groaning until then. Training is obviously cancelled."

Nothing too bad then. Illness was a problem in the slums, but it mostly came from the rats and other pests. Ironically, there hadn't been a proper plague in the slums in her lifetime, or for decades before according to Junior. The floods brought a lot of pain, but they also washed away the trash, pest droppings and wiped out whole populations of infectious rats year after year. Kept anything from getting too bad. Fever and sickness from the weather itself was common, but nothing that could really grip or ravage the city.

That was good. She could still remember the one time Yang got a proper illness and had to take one of the _Alchemist's_ tinctures. It had been like living with someone who wore her sister's skin but wasn't her. The things she said. The way she acted. Ruby shivered.

"Cold?" Jaune removed his cloak and wrapped it around her without complaint. He was big, which made the cloak huge. Or maybe she was small. Either way, what might have been a romantic gesture instead looked like he was swaddling a baby. Sun sniggered. Weiss looked away. Even Jaune's lips cracked a tiny smile.

"I hope you freeze and get sick." she grumbled. "You're not getting this back."

"That's how rumours start," Weiss warned.

"Like there aren't rumours already."

"Well, Jaune _did_ champion you in the ring against the Crimson Arcana." Sun pointed out. "Hard to say `mine` any more obviously than he did there. Fact he won only made it worse."

"I'd have done that for you as well," Jaune said.

"Really?" Sun swanned. "My hero. Kiss me!"

"You two really _are_ bored," Weiss said with a put-upon sigh, closing her book and looking back in time to see Jaune fend off Sun's amorous attentions. "You are even louder than normal. So goes any hope of my getting some peace and quiet to read."

_If you wanted peace and quiet, why did you follow us out here?_ Ruby wanted to ask. She didn't. Weiss never answered and always got upset and flustered when posed with questions like that. Either way, there wasn't anywhere else for them to be. Lessons were done for the day. It was raining, and thus the dorms were packed, the common rooms overflowing. There'd be no studying there, and Malneux was being his usual self.

Weiss didn't have any other friends among the nobles. No. Weiss didn't have any other friends.

Ruby wasn't blind, even if Weiss often accused her of being such when it came to ignoring how people talked about her behind her back. Yang always taught her to pay attention to what was going on, even if she didn't understand it. As such, she knew she was Weiss' only friend at the collegium. The `why` was unknown, but probably unimportant. It'd be some stupid noble crap she didn't care about. Weiss was nice once you got past her demanding nature and that was all that mattered.

Jaune and Sun seemed to like her too. Jaune was polite to most people, but he wasn't _nice_ to them all. It was niceness in the same way Weiss was, always there but never quite real. He seemed to get on with her though, and Sun was easy-going enough that Ruby figured he could get along with anyone. Weiss included.

She might complain, but Weiss enjoyed the chatter.

"Deep thoughts going on in there," Sun said, poking her cheek. "Don't hurt yourself."

"The deepest thoughts she could ever have would be about food," Weiss snarked. Or teased. It came out snappy, but she had a feeling that was just Weiss not knowing how tease properly.

"Food is important."

"Please don't," Jaune said, leaning back. "After all the red meat you and Sun have forced down me, I don't think I could _see_ food without feeling sick."

"I wasn't going to." Ruby trailed off as she peered at Jaune. He tensed under her gaze, wondering what the problem was. When she moved her hand toward his face, he kept still. It went past, slipping into his hair and giving a quick yank.

"OW!"

"Pft!" Sun buckled.

"What was that for!?" Jaune yelled, clutching his head.

Ruby held the hair between her finger and thumb. "I found a white hair."

"And you just thought you'd yank it out my scalp?"

"If that's your reaction to a white hair, Ruby, you can stay far away from me," Weiss said.

Sun burst out laughing.

"I'm not going to pull your hair out, Weiss. I was just surprised." Ruby held her grey sleeve up so they could see the hair against it. It was a bright white, almost the same shade as Weiss'. Not quite. A little darker. More grey than white.

"You going grey on me, old man?" Sun joked between laughter.

"It happens. My father went grey early and I'll probably do the same." He watched her closely as he brought his hand down. "Maybe don't pull any other ones out. I'd rather go grey than bald."

"Going for that distinguished older man look?"

Jaune grinned. "Maybe. You think it would suit me?"

"I think blond is where it's at," Sun said.

"You would," Weiss mumbled.

They laughed and Ruby let the hair go, watching it be whisked away on the wind. It fluttered toward the river and fell into it to be swept away. The water was choppy and rough, splashing up the banks as it rolled and roiled like an ocean caught in a storm. _It's heavier than usual. _

"Looks like it's going to be a wet one this year," Sun said.

"Always is," Weiss said. "We should be fine up here."

Ruby fought back the urge to ask what they thought everyone else in the city would be thinking. As someone who was from Menagerie, she wasn't supposed to know about the floods, let alone be so invested in how it affected people.

"It's only the second day of rain. It shouldn't be this bad."

Jaune stood. He didn't leave the gazebo, but he leaned over to take another look at the river. That prompted them to do the same. As the rain came down from the mountains, the water rushed with it, always a little behind. It took time for it to build up the natural reservoirs in the mountain and overflow. Since she'd only seen it from down in the slums, it was hard to compare it to the section that ran through the Collegium. Here, the river was barely ten metres wide. Down in the slums, it stretched out to forty or fifty at its widest point.

It was already beginning to breach its banks.

/-/

"It's coming!" People screamed and ran through the slums. "The floods are coming!"

Yang dropped her hammer and turned to stare at the people running by, shouting at the tops of their lungs to warn everyone else. Already, the sounds were travelling into the distance, the cries taken up. A shiver ran down her spine and she looked back toward the river. Impossible. It was only the second day.

"Yang," Blake hissed.

"I… It can't be this soon. They have to be wrong."

"It's here!" A boy, red-faced and no older than eleven, panted in front of her, hands on his knees. "The water is rising already. The farmland is starting to flood. It's already doubled the size of the river. I swear it!"

She didn't dare doubt him. Not with others echoing his words.

"Yang!" Blake hissed again, gripping her arm.

Shaken, she stooped and picked the boy up under his arms, handing him to one of the nearby people to take inside. Other children were already streaming forward, along with desperate parents who had been sure they had more time. So many had. People weren't ready. The slums weren't prepared.

A bell tolled and the matrons were already ushering children inside. Parents whispered instructions and kissed them. The market square was a hive of activity. Rafts were pushed into position and last-minute repairs put in place. Yang carted a crate of stale bread into the nearest building, ignoring Blake's complaints. Furious, Blake picked one up herself and dumped it down next to Yang's, letting the matron usher them out before grabbing her shoulder and spinning her around.

"We have to go! Now!"

"Junior," Yang whispered. "We have to warn them."

"For _fuck's sake_, Yang. We have to get out."

Yang broke out the Arcanist's grip and was already running. The rain grew heavier still, pattering down around them. Water splashed underfoot – not all of it from the rain. As they raced down the street the way they'd come, water began to coat the floor an inch thick. People splashed their way through it, running to whatever safety they could find. Animals too. Stray dogs and cats weaving through the crowds.

"We have time," she gasped to Blake. "It's not a flash flood."

Fighting against people running away from the river, they made their way back to the street Junior's building was on in time for the water to be shin deep. Slogging through it, she arrived in time to see Junior, Miltia and Melanie slam out the door, pushing water aside. Junior caught sight of her and yelled out.

"I'm here," Yang gasped. "I'm here."

"Fucking hell," he rasped. "We thought we were gonna be leaving you behind. Tunnels aren't prepped. This is fucked." He looked back to his building. It was solid construction, but too close to the river. It wasn't safe. "I'm taking the girls out. Got a farmhand that owes us and can give us shelter in a barn. You coming?"

"No. I…" Yang looked to Blake. Still hooded. "I have arrangements in the Merchant Quarter."

"Ruby?" he guessed incorrectly. "Guess there's some use her being up there. Fine. Go." He slapped her shoulder. "Get whatever you need from inside and stay safe."

Melanie gave her a quick hug. "Come back alive," she whispered.

"Don't snuff it," Miltia echoed.

Yang watched them go. The water continued to rise. It wasn't fast but that wasn't the real danger. No one got _surprised_ by the floods. Only drowned. The water could creep up an inch an hour, but it was going twice as fast this time. In two hours, it'd be over her knees. Pushing through the building, she found the staircase and crept up and out the water, Blake on her tail and _not_ looking pleased about how things were going.

"I just need some stuff," she explained, taking Blake to their room and pushing in. The beds and tables could be abandoned but Yang fell to her knees and pried up a loose floorboard. The coins from what Ruby had been able to lift came out in a pouch. Blake growled angrily. "We have time," Yang argued. "Got to think of _after_ the floods as well. You think food is going to be easy to come by?"

"In case you've forgotten, I'm an Arcanist who deals with illusions. Theft isn't beyond me."

"Yeah, but you need people to _have_ food in order to steal it. First comes floods, then comes sickness – then comes starvation." Pocketing the money, Yang made her way back, Blake behind. "That's the rules. Alright. I'm ready. What's the plan?"

"About time. Follow me."

The water was halfway up their shins when they got down and running was impossible. They trudged through it, sloshing one foot before another and wading through the shallow pond the slums were becoming. Linen stuck to her skin, soaking her body through and seeping that dangerous chill into her muscles. More dangerous for the elderly and weak than her but present all the same. Blake waded ahead, leading them away from the river overflowing its banks.

By the time they reached the square again, the water was ankle height there and running was easier, albeit for the crowds doing the same. Windows were being shuttered and barricaded. People were shouting out for missing family members. Up above, those in the Merchant District watched silently from the higher walls, looking down on the slums as it slowly filled up like a bathtub. Yang spotted some making their way to the tunnels and grimaced. They were in for a nasty surprise there.

Fear tore through the city, but Yang moved automatically, numbly. The fear she remembered feeling in years past had become muted and dull. It couldn't do anything else after being put through this year after year. By now, the floods – and the aftermath – were constant companions. It was what prevented the slums falling into a complete panic. The elders, those that had survived it for so long, knew what to do and passed that onto the younger generation. Even to those not their family. Afraid as everyone was, no one stopped to weep or cry or beg. Everyone was moving with purpose. Her and Blake were little different.

"This way." Blake tugged her to a nearby wall and began to scale it. Once she was up on the roof, she held a hand down for Yang to climb up. They weren't alone up there. At least ten people occupied their roof alone, more further along. They didn't stay still and kept running, jumping from roof to roof. Blake didn't miss that. "The water rises this high!?"

"The slums is a basin," Yang said. "Between the farmland outside and the Merchant district above, we're the lowest point. You need a second storey to be safe – and even then you'll probably get a couple of inches of water to deal with."

"This damn city. Fine. We're going up a district anyway."

"Not by the gates we're not." Yang said, pointing. Form their vantage point it was possible to see all the way back to the gatehouse leading up. It was close to the river and the water there had already risen to cover the door entirely. Aside from the fact no one would be guarding it, the water pressure would prevent anyone being able to get the heavy gates open.

If the water flooded high enough for people to swim to the upper level, it wouldn't have been an issue. It didn't, though. It stopped a goof fifteen metres below, trapping anyone to tread water for days or drown.

"How good are you at climbing?" Blake asked.

"Not as good as Ruby, but I can manage. We trying the walls?"

"It's our only hope. Tell me they're not going to station guards there to push us back in or poke us off with halberds? Tell me that or I'll gladly leave this pathetic city to the Grimm."

"They won't. They may look down on us, but they're not monsters. The guards will turn a blind eye if we make it up. A rare mercy from them, but they do what they can when the floods hit. They even fish people out if they can and take them to the cells."

"Imprison them?" Blake snarled. "Really? How nice of them."

"Upper District prison," Yang pointed out. "Dry, safe and fed. Trust me. It's a kindness."

Not that they could risk that right now with Blake being a Rogue Arcanist and the Collegium after Ruby. Yang followed the faunus as they leapt a building and headed north, jumping over streets already beginning to disappear under the rising water. It was a disgusting and murky blackish-brown, full of dust and minerals from up the mountain. There were already lumps floating in it. Rats and rodents at the moment. Those that couldn't swim. Give it a few days and it'd be people.

Coming closer to the walls, there were already people doing their best to scale them. Yang winced as one young man fell with a wailing cry and impacted the floor with a sickening crack. He didn't get back up. Up above, several merchants and hooded figures were at the lip and she saw one reach down and help pull someone up and over. Not many. Out of the tens of thousands that lived above, only about one or two hundred cared enough to help. It was enough. It had to be.

"Damn it," Blake hissed. "I can't cast anything with so many witnesses. We'll have to try another stretch of wall."

Yang stopped her. "We can't. It'll be the same everywhere. Trust me."

Everyone would be having the same idea – especially with how sudden this all was. No one was ready for the floods to come so early. Another person fell from the wall, the bricks slick with rainwater. Yang rushed forward and caught them, breaking their fall before they could break something else.

"You okay?"

"Y-Yeah," the frightened girl said. "Thank you."

"Wait for the water to rise a bit," Yang advised. "You can get a bit higher by swimming and that means less climbing. Plus, falling won't be the end of you."

"It'll be harder if I do…"

"I know. The water will make your clothing heavier, but you're already soaked through." The girl looked down sadly. Yang slapped her back and set her on her feet. "I've done this before. I know what I'm talking about. The longer you wait, the more likely they'll be to find some rope to toss down as well."

The girl nodded and went to catch her breath by the wall. There was no telling if she'd make it or not, but advice was the best she could offer. At least if she was rested, she'd have a chance. The climb wasn't going to get any less treacherous.

"How likely are they to offer rope?" Blake asked, having listened silently.

"Depends if they can find it. This wasn't supposed to happen for days yet. They'll be just as flat-footed as we are." Yang spared her a glance. "You might need to take a risk."

"My magic isn't useful here."

"You must know _something_ that can help. Ruby's told me about the Collegium. You don't start off learning your specialty. There's no way you only know your shadow magic shit."

"It's not-" Blake shook her head, unwilling to argue it. "I know small things. I could control water a little bit, but that's not going to make a difference here. I could light the way if it was too dark to see and knock back an opponent charging at you, but I can't give you the gift of flight or lift you up a forty metre wall, and I can't make that wall any less a bitch to climb. I could hide and get us to safety once we're up there, but that's it."

"Tch. Fat lot of good your magic is."

"One of the first things you learn as an Arcanist is just how helpless we really are." Blake said mysteriously. "Pray you don't have to experience that as I did when my home fell."

"Yeah? Well mine is about to sink, so let's not experience _that_ either."

"We'll have to climb it." Blake bit her lip and looked up. "Stay close to me. I can't do much, but I could turn a fatal fall into a less dangerous one." She looked sadly at the dead body nearby. "As long as you're close to me when it happens."

"Alright." Yang nodded. "Let's do this."

/-/

The last rocks crumbled away under a barrage of spell fire, weakened until they burst outward, water gushing out from caves and underwater streams to join the already roiling river and power down the mountainside. The river sloshed and rolled, hurtling down with force enough to sweep the strongest man away. Further up, more figures broke down the other natural barriers, causing water that had not yet filled basins enough to spill to pour out early.

"It's done," a tired man said, approaching the woman garbed in white. "We've breached the dams as best we can, Lady Goodwitch. From here, nature will take its course. The Collegium…"

"Will be safe. It is protected."

"Ma'am." The Arcanist, featuring only a single red gem, hesitated. "Is this necessary? Is this right?"

"The floods would come regardless of our intervention," Glynda said, watching the water flash by, ripping its way down the mountain. Natural channels and gullies carved over millennia would filter it down into a single point that fed into the River Vale.

"Even so, isn't this too much?"

"The Wildmage has made the slums her home. The annual floods are a part of that, and she will be prepared for them. It is not right that we do this, but it is necessary. The Grand Arcanist understands that." She eyed the man warily. "You may as well, in time. For now, trust that we do what is best for the city. The Wildmage will not act unless she is pressed to do so. We are here with the authority of the Grand Arcanist. What we do, we do because we must. Not because we wish it."

"I understand, Lady Arcanist."

He did not, but that was a good thing. Some knowledge was best left to those tasked to deal with it. If he joined the White, he might one day be privy to those things, and takes with responsibility such as hers. Until then, his ignorance was bliss. Glynda tightened her white cloak around her and looked down the mountain toward the city. She closed her eyes and let out a sigh. There was little pleasure to be had in such things, but the White demanded it.

"Breach the second dams," she ordered. "We will flush the Wildmage out."

* * *

**Oh my. **

**The floods are here and lo and behold, Ruby has made it worse. At least, that's what the White Arcana seems to be saying. For those wondering how the time trial went, this took 3 hours and 30 minutes. Approx. May have been a toilet and lunch break in there somewhere. Bit of a rush-job chapter but since I'm busy for the rest of the day, it is what it is. **

**At least Blake and Yang will have time to bond over shared misfortune. And we'll get to see how the city deals with the floods and what the aftermath is in the next chapter.**

* * *

**Next Chapter: 26****th**** January**

**P a treon . com (slash) Coeur **


	26. Chapter 26

**Here we go!**

* * *

**Cover Art:** Z-ComiX

**Chapter 26**

* * *

The floods were here.

Ruby couldn't see them from where she was, but the signs were enough – not to mention the distant shouting rose up from the city, indication of the annual event. The river in the Collegium had swelled up and begun to run wild, never breaching its banks but clearly by magical means. The water splashed up invisible barriers and rushed down into the culvert, before being magically transported away and not impacting the Upper and Merchant Districts where the wealthier citizens resided. Instead, according to the person from the Black Arcana, it was all transported down toward the Slums. The floods were something they were used to, so Yang should have been fine.

Except that they were early. Days early.

When you lived under the constant threat of it, you learned how to read it. Even from up in the Collegium, she could tell there hadn't been enough rain. _Did some water burst up from underground in the mountains? This is too much. No one is prepared._

They weren't the only ones watching. Even though it was raining, the momentous once a year event drew out Arcanists and Initiates and Newbloods alike. They crowded the banks, certain in the safety of the spells and keen to watch the water rush by rolling and heaving.

"It's not usually this bad," Jaune said. "I've seen it happen a few years now. This is a lot of water."

"Is it?" Weiss asked. "I've never seen it."

Imagine never seeing something that hit the city every single year. Ruby's fists tightened, imagining the nobles safe in their palaces because Arcanists diverted the water away from them, but didn't those below. It had been explained why. The farmlands needed the water. They couldn't make lakes to contain it indefinitely. Knowing didn't help. Not right now.

_Please be okay, Yang. Please be safe._

/-/

Yang clung onto a small outcrop of stone and caught her breath, looking down to the street below which was now covered in water some twelve feet deep. The fall was no longer fatal, and more people were climbing. Some were swimming to the wall, either latecomers or those who fell. It was those most likely to die, she knew – as did they – for the more they tried and failed, the less stamina they'd have to try again.

Already, a few bodies floated face down in the water like logs of wood.

There was nothing she or Blake could do for them. The water hadn't yet reached the rooftops and given people a place to rest, nor had it grown to its highest point and reduced the climb. Some people had made it to the rooves already and were taking what breaks they could. Yang stuck grimly to the wall, experience telling her that stopping for long could prove just as dangerous.

At a time like this, developing a cramp could be deadly.

"Argh." Blake gasped for air against the wall, stuck close with arms and legs spread out. "This is awful!" she yelled, voice raised to be heard over the rain, the splashing water and the desperate cries from above and below. "It's inhumane!"

"Keep climbing." Yang suited action to words and did just that, forcing Blake to shut up and follow. She wasn't sure if talking wasted energy but it sure as hell wasted time. Her fingernails were chipped and cracked, her fingers scraping and scratched from sharp stone, but she grunted and hauled herself up another few feet, eyes straining against rainwater for a single handhold.

A stone sticking out. A hole big enough for fingers dug in by an enterprising thief wanting an easier way up. The methods were there if you knew how to look for them. Ruby climbed the walls almost every day, but she was so much smaller and lighter. _I've spent too much time fighting and relying on the tunnels to escape. I'm out of practice._

Life or death brought all the forgotten techniques rushing back.

Looking down again, she was pleased to see Blake keeping up. Badly. There was no denying that. She'd fallen three times early on, with Yang halting her own progress to help. At any other time, it would have been nice to see her doing better than the Arcanist at something, but any pleasure she might have gleaned was ruined by the ticking clock of rising water.

Magic meant little here. Blake toiled with sweat and frantic breathing, doing her best to follow Yang's path and trust in the route she chose. If nothing else, she was fit for a noble. Yang would give her that.

"Yang. Look out!"

Yang looked up and caught a face full of black. Pain rocked through her and she fell back. The fingers of her left hand refused to let go, making her swing out and hang from it as she watched a large rock tumble down and splash into the water below. More than just rainwater ran down her face as she hung there, stunned but refusing to fall. Droplets of red splashed down from her own onto Blake's face. The Arcanist looked horrified.

"Get 'em off!" someone yelled furiously from above. "A plague. A plague of Dredgers. Kill the-"

The man was wrestled away by other Merchants, dragged down and – she hoped – beaten. Doubtful given the guards, but she could dream. Ignoring the agony and the urge to touch her face, or curl up and cry, Yang swung herself back against the wall and forced herself to keep going.

"Yang…"

Blake went ignored. There was no time for it. One hand before the other. Fingers scrabbling for purchase. Boots kicking against the wall in search of the ones her hands left behind. No more rocks came but the shouting above was louder. Darkness swam in at the edge of her vision, promising the soft warmth of rest if she'd just let go and fall. A short drop, water to break her fall and then a slow, long descent into darkness.

_Fuck. That._

It was with dogged determination that she scaled the final ten feet. At the top, hands reached down to help her. Yang ignored them. It was tempting to take them at the last, but one of her best friends died because he reached out to grasp a hand. The hand of someone who didn't have his best interests at heart and who had, with a cruel laugh, swung him back out. He hadn't struck water, but the lip of a roof, shattering his skull and dying. So close to the end. It took her _months_ to hunt down the merchant responsible.

These ones weren't that. They gripped her clothing and shoulders, helping her up and over the lip. Yang landed on her side, gasping and choking as she looked over several other cold, wet and tired forms huddling for warmth. A guard came and dropped a dry blanket over her, and she curled into it, chattering about a thank you.

Not everyone was as charitable.

"Throw them back!" a woman screamed.

"Not in our city!" a man echoed. "Thieves will steal and kill, mark my words."

"This is punishment. Diving punishment. Wash away their sins!"

The crowd was held back by several guards who formed a tight ring around the wall. It happened every year. For all those that came to help, just as many came to hurt – and more than both combined sat in their homes by fires, eating warm food and doing nothing. At best, a tenth of the Merchant's District would be out tonight. Five per cent to help and five per cent to try and stop them, with the rest staying home. Some of those might care and think how horrible this was while others would laugh, and more just wouldn't care either way.

"Yang?" Blake was up apparently and crawling through the huddled bodies. "Yang, where are you?"

"Here."

Blake crawled over, soaking wet and heaving for breath. Ignoring her complaints, the Arcanist rolled her over and removed the blanket, touching her face. Yang hissed and tried to draw away. Through woozy eyes, she saw Blake's fingers were red.

"He threw a rock at you. He… He tried to kill you."

Yang smiled weakly. "Nothing new there. Nothing new."

"This… I… This city." The Arcanist scrunched her eyes shut and stooped, helping Yang up onto her feet. "Come on. We need to go."

She tried to warn Blake, but her words were slurring a little. Blake picked her up regardless and carried her to the edge of the gathering, where they were quickly stopped by a guard in uniform.

"Halt. No one is to leave these points until you have been processed. You will be kept safe and fed in the District holding cells. This is for your own safety."

"My friend has been hit with a rock!" Blake snapped. "Are you really saying this now?"

"The one responsible has been detained. You do have my sympathy." The man looked like he didn't mean it and would rather be somewhere else. "Even so, leaving you free to roam the district is a recipe for disaster."

Blake hissed something beneath her breath. "I think your superior is calling you."

"Hm?" The man looked back over his shoulder. Yang couldn't hear or see anything, but he acted as though he could, straightening and saying, "Sir? They're – Wait, they're with the guard? Yes sir." He spoke to the thin air before turning back to them. "Why didn't you say so? Go on, then. Make sure to report to the barracks and see that injury tended to."

"We will," Blake lied, pulling Yang along. "Good luck with the rest."

No one made to follow them. Most from the slums would be happy for the cells – for they provided shelter, warmth and food that wouldn't be found anywhere else. Though cruelty was common in the prisons in the slums, it was less so in the Merchant District, or so she'd heard. There were always stories but what was a little ill-treatment compared to death? At any other time, Yang might have taken it.

They couldn't now. Not with Blake here and Ruby's situation. If Ruby came down – and she was sure to after realising the floods happened – and found Yang in a prison? It wasn't hard to imagine what she'd do. Fighting her nausea, she focused on putting one foot before the other, letting Blake guide her with an arm around her shoulder. The Arcanist brought her into a quiet alleyway that was partially sheltered and sat her down, then removed the cloak and ran a finger over her wound again. Yang winced.

"Can you hear me?" Blake asked.

"I'm not dead."

"No. But are you dizzy? Does it hurt?"

"Yes and no. I'm stunned." Yang made to shake her head to ward it off, but Blake caught her cheeks before she could and shook her head.

"Don't. You might have a concussion." She wouldn't have been able to climb if she did, but she let it go. Better safe than sorry. Blake stood and dusted herself down. "We need somewhere to stay. I can use my magic to convince someone. If I want, I can make them see us as their long-lost daughters. How likely are the guards to do checks of the city?"

"They won't. Too much to focus on."

"Good. Come on, might as well use it on these people here." Blake tapped the building they were against.

"No."

"Not them?" When Yang nodded, Blake sighed. "Why!?"

Yang pointed up in answer, to the wooden beam by the junction of the wall and roof. A symbol had been carved into it with a knife. It was a raindrop with a line underneath it and an X in the raindrop. It wasn't perfectly round, but more jagged. Hastily whittled into the wood with a sharp blade.

"Thieves signs?"

Yang was surprised a noble would know of them, even if she wasn't spot on. "Slummer's Symbols," she corrected. "Our way of communicating."

"And what does this one mean?"

"Means the people inside help when the floods hit." Which would explain why the lights were dark, the home abandoned. Its inhabitants were out by the walls providing food, blankets or muscle to pull Dredgers up to safety. "You can't hit 'em," Yang said. "Can't harm 'em."

"My magic won't hurt them at all."

Yang stuck her jaw out. "No."

"Yang, seriously? This is life or death. We don't have time to be picky."

"Life or death of more than two people. If someone hits 'em, they might not help next year. Or the year after. How many die then? We – We don't have much, but we have honour. We look after those that look after us. P – Pick someone else."

"You're freezing, Yang. Or you're going into shock."

"Pick. Someone. Else."

"Stubborn pain in my ass." Blake growled and hauled her up. "Fine. What am I looking for?"

"Lights on. I – If lights are on, they're in."

"And if they're in, they're not helping anyone," Blake finished for her. "No one would leave a candle burning in a house while they're out. Not if they don't want the place burning down. Well, at least that's not too hard. Plenty of lit windows…" She said it with some inflection in her tone. Disappointment. Surprise. Distress.

"Not everyone helps," Yang mumbled. "Few do."

"Which is why you need to take care of them. It's fine." Blake approached another building and slammed her fist on the door. The approach was so brazen, so blunt, that Yang wanted to laugh. From a depiction of Shadow Arcanists, she'd expected more. _Maybe it's because everyone is so distracted. No point being subtle when every guard in the district is occupied._

When the door opened, it was a confused and portly looking man who did so. His eyes toom them in but soon went above, perhaps seeing someone a head taller?

"Who are you?" he asked.

Blake said nothing. Her attention remained on him and Yang could see thin wisps of grey smoke about her fingers, curling between them. An illusion? Making up voices? Whatever it was, the merchant held a full conversation with nothing, speaking on investments and finances – something about receiving money.

"An interesting idea," the Merchant eventually said. "Why don't you come inside and we can discuss it further?"

And just like that, they were in.

/-/

Ruby's shaking could have been mistaken for being in the cold, and probably was. She was hardly the only one huddling up under her robes. The river pounded against the wall of the Collegium, vanishing into a yellow glow and disappearing – never quite breaching into the river visible on the other side. The visible display of magic, the Black Arcana's work, gripped most there, but not her.

"Shouldn't someone do something?" she asked, trying not to sound like she knew about the floods. Being from Menagerie, she wasn't supposed to. "If the city is flooding, people will be in trouble."

"The Lower District," Sun said. "Floods each year. It's bad. My Dad always did what he could to help, but it was never enough. There was a bunch of them that'd go out with food and rope to try and help people up. There'll be people doing that now."

"Why don't the _Arcanists_ do something?" she asked weakly.

Sun's eyes remained on the water. "I don't know."

"There has to be a reason," Weiss argued. "The Collegium wouldn't stand by without one."

"Of course there's a reason, Lady Schnee." Martyn Malneux's voice carried. He was stood with some of his friends, watching them with a sneer. "The reason the Collegium does nothing is because it's for the betterment of the city that the Dredgers be washed away."

"Disgusting comment," Jaune pointed out.

"Oh, I'm not commenting on those that die, Lord Arc. I'm only explaining the reason."

"And that is?"

"Isn't it obvious? The city has a population problem. There isn't enough room within the walls and the farms outside are overcrowded. Why else do people choose to risk their lives living in the Outskirts? We can't house more and more people, so the floods help cut the numbers down. Think of it like a cull of dangerous animals. Without the flood washing away the rot, we'd be knee deep in Dredgers. Stealing, killing and murdering-"

"That's not true!" Ruby screamed.

"What would you know, Rose? This isn't Menagerie and _they're_ not people. They live in squalor, rummaging around in the water – _dredging_ for lost coin in the river like rodents. They breed like rats as well. Nature has a way of keeping things in balance. This is just that."

"They're still people!"

"People, yes, but so is every murderer a person. Or every Rogue Arcanist, Wildmage or other disgusting cretin." Malneux leaned over and spat into the river. "I'd donate more if I could. With any luck, that drowns a Dredger."

A few others laughed and spat into the river as well, echoing the sentiment. Most didn't. Most shook their heads and tutted and looked away, but that didn't matter. Ruby's hands balled into fists and to see them gather and spit, wishing death upon the slums. Upon her and Yang and people like them. Her breath came out hoarse.

"Stop that!" Weiss barked. "Are you nobles? If so, then act like it!"

"What would you know about being a noble?" someone called back. "Daughter of a merchant."

"Bought their way into the royal bloodline. Your blood isn't blue."

Weiss bit her lip and refused to acknowledge them. Sun of all people drew her back and took an aggressive stance, standing alongside Jaune. The onlookers didn't seem to care, more focused on loudly boasting about how they would watch the floods from their mansions and manors. Again, it wasn't everyone – not even a quarter of the Arcanists who did so – but there were few who tried to stop it. They showed their disgust at such comments but did nothing.

It wasn't an unusual reaction to her. How many would look at the floods and say "oh, it's such a shame" but make no effort to help. How many would "spare a thought" or "keep them in their hearts" while sitting home in warm comfort where they'd never have to deal with such things? How many turned a blind eye?

The Black Arcana kept the water from impacting the Upper District. It should. The floodwater was already at a point where it should have been pooling out and flooding the Collegium and the Noble Quarter. The Merchant's too. The whole city should be flooded, even if the worst would still hit the slums.

"Second wave!" someone yelled. "There's a second wave coming!"

What? That shouldn't happen! The rainwater was meant to pool and overflow when it got high enough. The flood came after, the river bursting its own banks and flooding. It was only ever one instant. That was all it'd ever been.

And yet as Malneux and his cronies whooped and laughed, Ruby and the others looked up the river where a visible swell could be seen. A thick torrent of raging white kept in course by Black Arcana constructions that prevented it striking and damaging the Collegium. A second wave. A fresh swell that would strike suddenly and raise the water level in the confined areas of the slums.

Ruby's heart sank.

A single flood was bad enough – deadly to many – but this would be worse, especially with both coming a whole week early. It was normal to see where the water rose to and hide above it, then catch your breath and try to survive. People would think they were safe now, might even be sleeping or resting. If this fresh wave struck when they weren't ready for it…

"See? This is what I mean. Nature washes away the filth."

They had no idea.

_No idea_ what it was like to live under the spectre of the floods. No idea what it was like to watch people you knew and loved be swept away. No idea what it was like to count down the days, not knowing if you'd be alive once the week was over, or worse, if you'd be alive but the rest of your family wouldn't be. They had no idea. And how could they? They'd lived their lives without ever having to consider it. They were protected.

The water rushed in.

Amusement. Joy. Sorrow. Sympathy. The emotions were writ all over their faces, and yet not a one of them would do anything. It happened. It was normal. There was nothing they could do. Nothing they _wanted_ to do.

_If that wave hits, Yang might die._

Excuses. Excuses, all of it. They had power. They were Arcanists for crying out loud! If they could transfer the flood water further down, they could take it out the city entirely. Maybe Martyn was right. Maybe they _let_ this happen because they wanted to control population. Because they claimed there wasn't enough room in the city, even when the noble buildings she'd walked by weeks before had been large enough to home _two hundred_ people at once. Not enough room because they refused to give up any of their own.

The nobles didn't understand what it was like because they'd never experienced it.

Something burned under her skin.

_I wish they understood._ Her teeth gritted together as Martyn laughed. _I wish they'd learn what it's like!_

Fire poured down her body and into her feet, then below – leaving her in a rush. Ruby's eyes opened, breath escaping as she staggered. The feeling. It was just like when she'd burned of the surges in the slums! Legs suddenly weak, she slumped to the side, crashing into Jaune. He caught her more by accident than anything, turning with a question on his lips.

It died when the ground shook and rumbled. Groaning stone cracked and everyone's voices cut off suddenly. Sun was bowled off his feet and Weiss crouched so she wouldn't face the same. People screamed as the very rock beneath them cracked open, a fissure ripping through the ground under Malneux's feet. He stared down at it in horror.

That cost him. Where his friends all dodged and ran, he stood with one foot on either side of an expanding gap. His piercing scream as it grew so wide he fell echoed over the Collegium, followed swiftly by an impact and an oof. Jaune cursed pushed her down onto her knees, leaving her safe and hurrying to the edge. From her position, she could see over as well. The chasm wasn't deep. Only six feet or so. You could climb in and out easily.

"Malneux!" Jaune yelled. "Are you okay?"

"Y-Yes." Startled, but alive. The noble rose and dusted his robes down, more embarrassed by his scream than injured. "What is going o-"

A loud crash echoed behind. Everyone turned, Ruby too, in time to see the south-west wall of the Collegium _collapse_. Wide eyed, Ruby stared, knowing full well what had caused that. Or who. The fissure Malneux was in had carried on, weakening the ground beneath it and causing a section of wall some ten metres wide to sink and crumble.

_Did… Did I do that?_

"The river!" an Arcanist screamed. "Get him out the river!"

Out? But Malneux wasn't _in_ the river. Ruby looked back in confusion but could only whisper "Oh" brokenly, realising what the Arcanist meant. The expanding crack went two ways – one into and through the wall cutting off the Collegium from the Noble Quarter, and the other way toward the River Vale itself. It had reached both now, cutting through Black Arcana protections not designed to deal with it.

The River Vale had come crashing down into a _fork_, and with the water backed up as the protections filtered water further down, it took the easier – the emptier – route. The shallow ravine that Malneux was stood in soon became a raging river. Jaune swore and dove in. His boots hit down and he tackled Malneux against the wall of the ditch, pinning him there a second before the water struck with the force of an avalanche.

"Jaune!" Ruby screamed.

Their heads were submerged. The water splashed and roared all around them, freely splashing up and flowing over and into the Collegium without the protections to stop it. People cried out and fled, few staying to try and help. Malneux's friends, cruel as they were, hurried over to try and help pull him out. Ruby made to do the same for Jaune, but Sun pushed Weiss into her arms and jumped over their heads.

Between them, they managed to get hold of Jaune's arm and drag him out. Connected to that was Malneux, soaked and struggling for breath, but alive. Alive and now aware of just how terrifying it could really be.

"The Noble Quarter," Weiss moaned. "It's going to flood!"

Good.

If they wanted to talk about how their deaths was nature taking its course when they used magic to _alter_ the course the river took, then so be it. This was nature. This was how the floods were supposed to be. The river breaking up and down the length of the city. The water would drip down to the slums eventually, it being the lowest point in the city, but it would be slower. Much slower. There wouldn't be a sudden rush washing people away.

Any satisfaction she felt was washed away as Sun helped Jaune to his feet. Limping and wet, hair dripping and face pained, Sun had to practically carry Jaune away, taking him back in the directions of the barracks.

"W - We should get inside," Weiss said."Our rooms are on the upper floor. We'll be safe there."

Already thinking like a Dredger. When the floods came, you sought higher ground. More than that, being away from ground zero when _she'd caused it_ might also be a good idea. Luckily, the Arcanists running around were too busy trying to deal with the damage to ask where it came from. Pulling Weiss up, Ruby ran with her back to the dorms.

/-/

Grand Arcanist Ozpin watched from his tower, which granted the perfect view of the Collegium and Upper District slowly filling with water. Though it would only ever be two feet deep at best, they would still complain as though it were the end of the world. Naturally, such would be his fault. He could already feel a summons to the King coming.

"How troublesome. What do you make of this, old friend?"

"Sudden," James said, his white robes still and his steely eyes on the scene below. "Too sudden. This was no accident or result of the floodwater."

"A new river cut directly into the Noble Quarter, pumping water designated for the Lower District directly into the homes of those who would insult them." Ozpin chuckled. "Poetic, is it not?"

"Poetry implies a poet."

"It does." Ozpin closed his eyes and sighed. "It seems Glynda's actions did not go unnoticed. This appears to me to be a message to us."

"A declaration of war."

"No. Not yet. A warning. A threat. If we seek to harm the slums, our resident Wildmage will return the favour. Destroying the wall to make it clear it is no protection. Flooding us and the nobles to send her message. She is quite the problem."

"She won't be for long," James promised. "You asked for aid and I'm here, Ozpin. I've brought the best the Atlas branch of the White has to offer. Specialists. Each one White and Crimson and masters of both. They're a dedicated team designed to hunt down and eliminate Wildmages."

"That Wildmage is in our city," Ozpin said. "I hope you will remember that when the time comes."

"We'll do our best to limit damage, but you know that's not always possible where a Wildmage is involved. They don't go down quietly. And if this one has made her home there, she won't be leaving it." Ironwood hummed. "Better to lose a few to ensure stability. Any losses can be blamed on the Wildmage herself."

"They are still citizens of this city, James, their less-than-stellar reputation aside."

"Atlas doesn't flood, Ozpin. I know nothing of these… what do you call them? Dwellers?"

"Dredgers."

"Dredgers, then. I don't know them and don't have any of your little prejudices. They're victims here, that much is obvious. Innocents." The man's eyes hardened, lips drawing down. "I won't forget that, but I won't let it get in the way of what needs to be done. If your Wildmage can already do this, then she's growing at too fast a rate. Soon, she might be out of our reach entirely."

"I hope you know what you're doing, James."

"I do. And you're right. This." Ironwood indicated the drenched Collegium, with water already seeping up several inches. "This is a warning. It could have been much worse. Your Wildmage doesn't want to declare war on you yet. A sign that she's still weak. A time for us to strike. Better to be the first to attack; the first to declare war."

Ozpin said nothing. The Grand Arcanist watched his Collegium fill in silence.

"With your permission, Grand Arcanist of Vale."

"Yes." Ozpin let his eyes close. With a reluctant sigh, he bowed his head. "You have your permission. The White Arcana will support you as best they can. Bring this to a close, James. We cannot allow this Wildmage to persist. If you cannot capture her alive…"

Ozpin looked away.

"Kill her."

* * *

**Ruby's Wild magic strikes back at the Collegium without her really meaning it to. Yang and Blake survive and find refuge, and a few little teasers and reveals in other areas. The flood is something that would persist for some time, by the way. It's not a wash in, wash off, but more like a sudden rush, lots of death, and then several days to a full week of the water just staying there, slowly draining away but made difficult because of how much there is.**

**And because of how the city has allowed it all to pool in one spot, rather than dissipate and drain from everywhere at once. There's only so much that can drain into the ground if you limit the amount of contact it has with the ground.**

* * *

**Next Chapter: 2****nd**** February**

**P a treon . com (slash) Coeur **


	27. Chapter 27

**Here we go**

* * *

**Cover Art:** Z-ComiX

**Chapter 27**

* * *

Despite wanting nothing more than to rush out there and make sure Yang was okay, Ruby kept her head down. With a section of the wall destroyed, the city flooded and more Arcanists and Collegium Guard than ever before on the walls, not to mention her wild magic lashing out as it had before, there was too much to risk.

The Collegium was on lockdown. Arcanists were being checked on every gate. The destroyed part of the wall was manned by at least fifty guards. There was a perimeter around it where Initiates were shooed off if they came even within a hundred metres of it. Even catching a look at what was outside was almost impossible. Try, and the Guards were on you in an instant and pushing you back. It was like they didn't want anyone to see the world outside.

That didn't stop the rumours flying, however. Lessons were cancelled but the common rooms of the dorms were _packed_ full of people, all chattering loudly.

"I heard the Noble District is ankle deep in water. The families are fuming. Carpets ruined. Walls soaked through. Heads are going to roll for this, believe me."

"-loads of damage. I saw the Arcanists outside helping repair."

"Surprised they didn't have us do it. What's the risk in letting us out for an hour or two to help?"

"You _want_ to do basic labour?"

"No, but it seems like the kind of thing they'd have us do."

"Guards are already on it."

"The Newbloods?"

"Yes. Them and the official guard."

Ruby sat with Weiss in a corner, the two of them having claimed a quiet spot to themselves where they could listen in. Weiss had some guy on her left, but he wasn't paying attention to them; the room was just too cramped. As always, Ruby chose a corner where she only had to worry about one flank being open and that was covered by Weiss.

Guards and Arcanists helping to repair the district, huh? Never happened in the slums. The guards wouldn't even come down until the water had fully drained, leaving the area lawless. Ankle deep water, too. That was nothing. It got that bad within an hour in the slums, and soon rose to building height. _The river is supposed to flood. The only reason it never did like this before is because the Collegium made sure it spared the richer districts._

She didn't feel bad about what happened. Not at all.

What she _did_ feel bad about was Jaune. Jaune and the loss of control, since she hadn't _meant_ to use her magic. It just happened. Burst out when she was angry. That was the very definition of wild magic according to Cinder, but she'd thought she had control over it.

"I hope Jaune's okay…"

"I'm sure he's fine." Weiss said. Ruby jumped, not having realised she'd spoken out loud. "Leaping in front of a raging river like that was certainly something. For Malneux no less."

"Should have let him be knocked around," Ruby mumbled.

"He could have drowned."

If Martyn drowned in a river, he needed to learn how to swim. Sure, the currents were powerful and all that, but the thing was flooding so he'd have been tossed out within a few seconds. Even if he hadn't, wasn't it justice after what he said? He wished the death of people in the slums to flooding, so seeing him go the same way…

Ruby shuddered. Such thoughts were cold, even for her. Yang wouldn't want her to wish that fate on anyone. Not when they saw it happen so often.

"How are the other districts?"

"I've no idea," Weiss said. "It's hard enough to get news for what we have, but everyone here only cares about their homes. I imagine the Merchant's and the Royal Districts are fine. The Royal is further up, and the Merchant's will just drain off into the lower. It all will eventually."

Someone clapped from the entrance to the room. The noise began to diminish, but not fast enough for the person responsible, who slammed a hand down on a wooden table and yelled out, "Quiet! Oi. Quiet down."

Warden Coco waited impatiently for everyone to stop. Warden Yatsuhashi stood beside her, his robes wet from the rain and floodwater that also coated the Collegium. Not deep – not even an inch deep – but enough that every step splashed, and water seeped through your shoes. Neither of them looked best pleased.

"Listen up, Initiates. As of today, all lessons are cancelled. We expect it to take a week, but if that changes, you'll be notified. You are restricted from approaching the wall until it is rebuilt. This is for your own protection due to construction equipment and masonry that will soon be brought in. The Guards will stop you if you approach, and they've been given permission to subdue if necessary. Again, it's for your own protection."

Ruby could _feel_ Cinder's doubt, even all the way from the Sanctum.

"The school building _will_ be open to you. Food, library and classrooms are free to use as you wish – within reason. You're also free to practice in your spare time. If you want dry ground, the south-east wall is the best place. You're also free to attend and visit the Arcana. However," she stressed, "The White Arcana has closed its doors and asked any aspiring Initiates to wait until the week is over to visit. Probably more floodwater."

"Can we send letters to our families?" someone asked.

"Sure. Visit the Scriptorium or if you know a guard who is free to come and go, ask them to deliver it."

"What about the river? We've got _two_ in the Collegium now."

"Ahah. Yeah." Coco laughed. "Sorry but I don't know. I'm a Warden, not an Arcanist. They'll probably wait for the weather to calm down before making a decision, be that to fill it back up or divert it. I'd assume the Black Arcana will decide once they take a look at it, but that won't be right now. I'd stay away if I were you. Get swept into it and toward the wall and while the Guards will fish you out, they won't be best pleased about it. Until then." She clapped her hands. "Do as you like. Just be careful you don't get sick with all the water around."

/-/

It was a novel experience to see the floods from a higher district. Yang woke up in a soft bed in a warm room with Blake on a cot beside her. They dined on fine food, quail's eggs and delicacies that made her face pucker up. Their host's, gracious or not, talked over their heads and to someone who didn't exist. Blake weaved her magic continuously but warned they'd have to vacate the house for the day. She couldn't keep it up for too long at a time.

The Merchant's District was, for lack of a better term, in shock. It had flooded. For the first time in Vale's history, it wasn't just the slums that suffered – and suddenly, no one knew how to handle that.

"It's not even knee deep," Yang groused, sloshing through the water and shaking her head at those who looked to be lost in absolute despair. "Pathetic. They'd not last a week below."

"I take it this has never happened before," Blake said. The Arcanist had her hood up, which didn't look out of place given the rain. It let them both walk freely without being challenged, especially since Yang now had a richer, satin-grey hood from their generous hosts.

"Not like this. The water doesn't normally reach up to the height of the walls. If it's this deep here, it must be even worse in the slums. Fucking hell. This year has been nothing but trouble. First Ruby, now this?"

"The two might not be unconnected."

Yang shot her… she wasn't sure what to call her. Friend sounded too far, but they'd been through shit together and Blake looked after her while she was hurt. Companion? Yeah, that sounded like a good word.

"Bit of a leap to blame all this on Ruby…"

"She's a Wildmage."

No one was close enough to hear and the rain was loud. Yang still hissed and looked around just to be sure. "Yeah, well. You don't even seem to know what that means, so I'm not taking it for granted."

"A Wildmage must be powerful," she reasoned. "Otherwise, why would the Collegiums hunt them?"

"I'm not assuming anything."

Blake shook her head. "Stubborn."

"No. I'm a realist. I need proof before I'm going to accept shit." And even if she had it, she wouldn't blame Ruby for this.

They trekked on, splashing past people racing at warehouses to save stock and move it to higher shelves. The District was all a bustle, with merchants focusing on reducing the damage and protecting their assets. Typical. Skirting around the empty market plaza, Yang's feet unerringly took her toward the wall itself. Blake didn't try to stop her.

The Slums was still. Stagnant.

The water had stopped expanding and rising and now looked as peaceful as a lake, the tall spires and upper floors of certain buildings reaching above. It might have been tranquil to anyone not used to living down there. It had to be at least fifty feet deep. Reaching up to and pooling _over_ the walls separating the two districts.

At the edge of that, a wooden platform had been built up raised above, offering a sheltered and dry – relatively, anyway – place for those rescued to huddle. A thin linen cover had been erected for them and a good hundred people lay and sat beneath it, staying close to one another for warmth. Some of the few charitable merchants had provided supplies, which were stacked in crates nearby, while a few more healthy survivors cooked them over a fire they'd managed to get going under an awning.

Most of the merchants hurrying to save stock nearby ignored them, but Yang caught the arm of a boy no older than twelve, who had reared back to throw a rock. Yanking him back, she sent the brat splashing down into the cold water.

"Oi!" he yelled. "What giv- blrrbl!" He thrashed wildly as Yang held a foot on his chest to pin him under.

"Yang," Blake warned.

"Relax." Yang let him go after no more than two seconds, allowing the boy to scramble up spitting water with a hateful expression. He still had the rock in hand and hurled it at her. It struck her palm and held, caught.

The boy looked terrified at the thought of it being returned.

"Scram, kid."

He fled. Scoffing, she tossed the rock into the water nearby and waved her hand in the air to work off the smarting feel of catching it in the first place.

"Charming children," Blake remarked.

"No one hates as much as a kid does. Cruel little fuckers."

"Is that why you wanted to give him a taste of what it feels like?"

"Sure." Yang grinned. "Let's go with that. I was totally trying to teach him a lesson and not just enjoying it myself." She watched the Arcanist roll her eyes. "What does it matter? He's obviously not with the ones who help us out so he's fair game."

"Hmm." Blake pushed her legs through the water to take her to the wall. It wasn't like a battlement of castle wall but a balcony. It relied on height alone to keep the Dredgers out, and that was enough when the water wasn't so high. Standing with her hands on the stone balustrade, she looked out over the lake that was the Lower District. "It's been swallowed whole. This is horrible."

"It's not usually this bad. Two lots of water coming at once did this. Normally, the water has more time to drain away in the mountains before it comes crashing down. Underwater caves or some shit. I don't know." Yang took her place beside Blake, leaning down to rest her elbows on the stone. "There'll be people caught out by this. Those who stayed in homes that have always before been above the water level."

Blake swore quietly. "Tragic."

"Nah." Yang was aware of the whipcrack of Blake's head. "Tragedy is when something unexpected happens. When it's bad but there wasn't shit you could have done about it. This is tradition. If people wanted to avoid this, they'd let us all stay in camps in the Upper District. Plenty of room there. They didn't, and this happens. Ain't nothing _tragic_ about this as far as they're concerned."

"I suppose you're right. I can't believe the Collegium does nothing."

"Should they?"

"Yes!"

Huh. That was a bit of a surprise. "I take it Menagerie never had floods."

"Not at all, and while it's true we had a similar system to this, there were no tiered levels. Poorer parts of the city of course, but that's normal. We had tropical storms sometimes and those might damage buildings. When that happened, the Collegium always offered to help."

"Even for the slums?"

"We didn't _have_ slums, but even for the poorest areas, yes. Fa – The Grand Arcanist once told me it was important to show people that we're human, just like them. That we suffer just as they do, despite our powers, and that we stand beside them when they need aid."

Sounded like a nice deal. Yang sighed and looked back over the slums. Maybe it was the way Vale was built on a river winding down a mountain that made it. The tiered construction was necessary because of the ground. That might have come first, then people decided the higher ground was more desirable and the divide built from that. At the end of the day, Vale's location made it both easy to defend and self-sustaining. The floods fed the farms which fed not only the city but exported across Remnant to feed many other towns and villages.

Menagerie sounded nice. Before it got destroyed, that was.

Yang's thoughts were cut off by a startled sob from Blake. Looking over, she followed the Arcanist's line of sight in time to see a small body float by face down. Yang sighed. "It happens."

"W-We can fish them out!"

It was pointless but she didn't argue, knowing Blake wouldn't be able to handle it otherwise. While Blake looked for something to use, Yang planted a foot on the railing and dove over. Everyone in the slums was a strong swimmer as a matter of course. Grabbing the back of the person's clothing, she knew they were dead from the lack of heat alone, but still kicked back to bring them to the edge. Blake was there, hands ready to haul them over.

The pale and slightly blue face of a boy not ten years old stared emptily back at them.

Yang laid a hand on Blake's shoulder. "Nothing either of us could have done."

"How many?"

"In total? No way to know until the water recedes. It's usually close to a thousand. A couple hundred over…"

"A thousand?" Blake whirled on her. It wasn't only rainwater that ran down her face. "How can you be so blasé about this? A thousand people. Dead. Drowned."

"How? Because I've seen it every year of my life since I was born. Because I've lived it." Looking back at her home, Yang sighed. "Because it's fucking amazing what you can get used to if it happens often enough. We gather the bodies once the water goes down. There's a big pyre."

"You don't even bury them?"

"Where would we? Farmland is valuable; we're not. Besides, we can't let disease spread. Main thing to do now is focus on the living." Pushing off from the balustrade, she left the body behind, staring up at the rain.

"What can we do?"

_Now you want to help? Before, it was all about just us getting out and you having your mission._ Yang didn't put words to the thoughts, knowing full well what changed. The floods had just been a concept to Blake. A nebulous idea attached to a word people were throwing around. Seeing how calm they were and mistaking that for evidence of what it'd be like, she'd made assumptions.

"We don't need to go fishing since the water is high enough for people to swim out." No need to explain what that meant anymore. Fishing for survivors. "Best we can do is gather food – and that's gonna cost money. How versatile is your magic?"

"Not at all. It's entirely designed for tricking people. That said, I think our hosts might be willing to make a generous contribution to help protect the people here."

"Heh. Good of 'em. Is it safe for you? To use magic with the Arcanists here and all…"

"It wouldn't be normally, but they're all busy further up the city. I can keep it hidden." She looked back to the huddled figures struggling for warmth and food on the raised platforms. It was charity enough that some of the merchants made that and provided for them, but it was still a far cry from perfection. They were left out in the elements while large warehouses were saved for the protection of trade goods.

Blake probably couldn't understand that, and Yang supposed it spoke well of her. To them, it was just another thing you got used to living on the bottom rung of society.

"You get money and I'll show you how best we can use it to help," she offered.

"Yes." Blake sighed. "Yes, I think that's for the best."

/-/

Ruby cautiously made her way into the Azure Archives, waiting to be challenged or asked what she was doing. With everyone having time off and the dorms full of gossip, sneaking away to visit Jaune had been the first idea. Sadly, he was off helping outside the walls, being a guard and thus able to leave as he wished. With the only other option being a study session with Weiss in the school library, she'd made her excuses and left.

Weiss didn't seem too upset. If anything, she acted like she was waiting for something bad to happen and was relieved for a chance to be left on her own.

Less so on her end. Being alone had her shoulders tense and she kept waiting for someone to realise she was the one to cause the river to bend. It was the Collegium. _Someone_ had to have sensed the magic. Arcanists may have had to concentrate while it was instinctive to her, but it was unrealistic to expect no one to have.

Would they be able to narrow it down to her, though? Hard to say. There'd been a lot of people out there and most of them had been shouting or spitting into the river. Who could say it wasn't Malneux in a silly effort to make the water stronger? So strong it burst its banks and broke the wall? Well, everyone. The typical Arcanist couldn't do something like that.

_Now is the worst time to go see Cinder. I bet they're questioning anyone who goes near._

The Azure Archives looked like it might be the quietest place to hide. Ruby poked her head in and saw a familiar figure by the fire, reading a book. "Ren!"

The older boy looked over. "Oh. Hello Ruby." He remembered her. Sliding over, she took the comfortable seat next to his. The Archives were dry and warm; a welcome change from outside. "What brings you to the Archives?"

"Lessons are cancelled and there's nothing to do. Is it okay if I stay here a bit?"

"I doubt anyone will have a problem. It's not a security risk if that's what you're thinking. You won't be able to read any of the books we have without being a full member, and any research chambers will be sealed. I'm just having a rest myself."

"Busy day?"

"I owed a favour to a friend and had to help them with some research. It involved standing still holding something with all my muscles tensed for about an hour. Not quite a fun experience." He smiled lazily. "On the other hand, I hear I missed quite the commotion outside."

"That's one way to put it. I'm surprised the Archives isn't flooded."

"The Arcana buildings predate the flood defences."

Ruby blinked. "Huh?"

"The defences that keep the river from flooding," he explained. "Those were made by the Black Arcana, and naturally there was not _always_ a Black Arcana…" He trailed off, waiting for her to fill the rest in.

"Oh. The Collegium used to flood."

"Yes. Long before we were alive of course, but the Collegium was built first and the Arcana buildings sprung up later. Therefore, it stands to reason the Collegium was used to flooding. As such, the buildings built here are raised up on stone foundations. That is why you always have to climb several steps to get into a building."

She'd assumed that was just to make it look prettier but now that she thought about it, the water only reached about halfway up the steps. And he was right. The buildings must have come before the Black Arcana, who then found a way to stop the river in the Collegium flooding. It made sense all the buildings were constructed with that in mind. _I guess it's a good thing the books don't get wet. _

"Do you mind if I ask a question?"

Ren looked over his book. "By all means."

"Have you heard anything about what happened?"

"With the wall and the river? No. Well, apart from knowing _what_ happened, but I'm sure you've seen that yourself. The Azure are mostly too focused on their own things to care. I did hear that the White are up in arms, however."

"In arms!?"

"Sorry. A saying. Angry. Upset."

"Oh, right." For a second she'd really believed they might be arming themselves for battle. It sounded like something they'd do. _Does that mean they know it was a Wildmage? _There'd be no reason for them to get involved otherwise. "Has anything like this happened before?"

"Not that I know of."

Damn. She'd been hoping to get an idea what they did in the past so she could plan now. If they found her, she was going to have to run, Blake's objectives be damned. All she'd come for was to learn how to use her power and she knew a little of that now. Enough to get by. Surges and all. Speaking of surges, she felt calmer now than she had for the last day or two.

Casting that spell hadn't been a surge. It had been intentional, even if she hadn't quite meant for it to be that big. Even so, just the act of getting all that energy out had settled her nerves. She felt now just like she did after burning it all out in the slums. Relaxed. Tranquil. Satisfied.

_Is this why they hunt us down? It might make sense but by hunting us, they're going to make us retaliate. Wouldn't it be safer for everyone if they just let us live alone and gave us some place to burn our surges off in?_

Thoughts for another day. Bringing her feet up onto the chair, Ruby snuggled into the cushions and closed her eyes in the warm glow of the fire.

Ren turned a page, spared a glance to the sleeping girl and chuckled.

/-/

Ruby hadn't confronted her.

Weiss had no idea what to make of it. Was she sparing her? Was it unimportant? Angrily, she ran a hand over her face, unsure if she wanted her friend to ask or not. What answers would she have? Would Ruby even look at her the same way?

The library provided scant comfort, particularly when some other initiates came with similar thoughts, saw her and made a point of choosing another table. Weiss packed up her books and made her way outside, drawing her hood up. The water was slowly starting to seep into the grass, turning it into a soft and wet marshy texture. Each footstep made bubbles rise and the ground squelch loudly. The broken wall lay before her, the ornate structures of the noble district beyond it.

_Father must be furious. I hope Winter and Whitley are doing well._

Coming away from the wall were a collection of Newbloods and Guards. Weiss spied Sun among them, his tail giving him away even with his hood up. That would make the one beside him Jaune. Maybe bringing news he was okay would be a good way to break the issue with Ruby. Nodding, she moved forward, calling out for them.

"Hey!" Sun said, winking back. "Looking beautiful as ever, Weiss."

"I look a mess."

"As I said, beautiful."

"Hmph. Try your flirtations elsewhere. I was hoping to speak with Arc in private."

"Ouch. I'm hurt." Sun didn't look it. "And jealous." Again, he didn't look it. More amused. "Ruby might be upset if you're stepping in on her man, though…"

"It's precisely for her sake I want to speak with him."

"Ahhh. Checking up on him for her. Hah." Sun slapped Jaune's shoulder. "Makes sense. I'll go light the fire in our bunk. Don't know about you, but I want somewhere to dry my feet after slogging through water all day."

Jaune looked haggard and smiled. "That sounds good, Sun. Thank you."

The faunus left with a farewell for her; one Weiss returned politely enough. Standing out in the rain might have been awkward for the two of them remaining, if not for the fact everyone was already soaked through. Even so, she was painfully aware of the connotations Sun had laid bare.

"If I am being a bother, you can leave. I don't want to keep you if you're wet and tired."

"It's fine." He waved it off. "For all Sun complains, our boots are watertight, and this is nothing new. Honestly, the work is easier than our typical training."

"Easier than all the running?"

"We spent more time dealing with irate nobles than manual labour," he said, looking back. "Maybe the work will pick up once construction material arrives for the wall."

Understandable. There was precious little they could do for already flooded land and if the wall had crumbled, the debris must have been unusable. They were doing their namesake, guarding. Still, it would be improper to keep him long.

"How are you?" she asked. "Ruby was quite worried about you."

Jaune looked confused. "She was? Why?"

"You leapt into the river to save Malneux. You were hit rather hard…"

"Oh." His eyes lit up with understanding, as though he'd just remembered. "Well, that was my body moving before my brain could think better. I suppose that's a sign Lord Winchester's training works. As for me, I'm fit and healthy. Little to worry about."

"I'm glad to hear it."

"What of you?" he asked suddenly. "You look troubled."

Weiss bit her lip and resisted the urge to tell him it was none of his business. "So obvious?"

"For any normal person, no, but you're normally so calm that the difference shows."

A compliment masked within the accusation. Weiss would have snorted if such was allowed. It wasn't, of course, which was why she felt disappointed when it happened. As a noble lady, she had an image to uphold.

"You know of my family, I assume?"

"I know _of_ them," he answered diplomatically.

"Do you know how they became nobles?"

"Through marriage."

"Yes." Weiss sighed. "More specifically, through marriage to a noble family struggling financially. A double blow to their prestige; both to need help from a lowborn and to be wedded to one. I and my siblings are the first true noble children of the Schnee family. We have an image to uphold. A responsibility to house and family."

"Do you think you've faltered in that somehow, Lady Weiss?"

"Please don't call me that." Weiss looked down. "People only say it as a sarcastic reminder of what I am. I'd prefer to just be Weiss, if I may."

"Of course." He bowed his head. "My apologies, Weiss."

He really was formal when Ruby was not around. A true scion of the Arc family, a well-known and well-regarded noble house with roots clearly connected to the royal family. Even when they did not serve as such, members of the Arc family were powerful Arcanists, knights, warriors or generals. Their history was one to be proud of. Ruby really didn't realise just how much an exception he made when speaking to her. _Not that Ruby would care either…_

"Are you worried about what Ruby would think?" he asked.

"Yes."

"You can't possibly think she would stop being your friend. I won't believe it."

"No. No." She didn't think that would happen. "I'm more… I suppose I'm worried she'll think I misled her. I've always been so critical of her, so quick to tell her off for anything she does that might be improper or impolite. It's hypocritical, isn't it? For me to harp on so much about what it means to be noble when I, myself, am nothing more than a merchant's daughter."

"You are Lady Weiss Schnee, First of the Schnee Family," he said. "Whatever your father may have been matters not to you now."

"Second," she said. "Winter Schnee? My sister?"

Winter was quite famous, as eager to prove her worth as Weiss was and old enough to do so. She was currently serving as a knight in the King's court. A high position to rise and a source of much honour for their parents.

"Oh. Of course." Jaune brought a hand up to his face and pinched his forehead. "Winter Schnee. I… I suppose I must have forgotten about her." He looked troubled. Almost frightened. Was he worried he might have insulted her? "I'm sorry; I meant no ill."

"It's fine. We've all been busy. No offence is taken."

"Yes. Busy." He shook his head. "The point still stands. You're a noble now and it's up to you to decide what that means. I think Ruby has already made her decision, and apparently it's that she cares not a thing for it." He smiled tiredly. "As such, I doubt she will care much for your perceived sleight against her. Talk to her. I have a feeling all will be well."

To hear it said brought comfort. Weiss took a deep breath and smiled. "Thank you. I do have faith in her and I'm sure she won't hate me…"

"But the fear is there, I understand. If nothing else, both Sun and I consider you a friend, Weiss."

"A friend thanks to Ruby."

"Does the method truly matter?"

"No. I suppose it doesn't. I'll be sure to tell Ruby later, and to tell her you're safe and sound. Would you care for us to visit later? Even if I say it, I'm sure she'll want to confirm it with her own eyes. There's precious little for us to do otherwise."

"No." Jaune answered quickly. Sharply. "Not tonight. I… I am not in my right mind. Perhaps my dip in the river has me more scatter-brained than I first thought. I don't really want her to see me like this." He laughed at himself, shrugging his shoulders helplessly. "Give me a day to recuperate and-"

The tolling of a bell deeper in the Collegium interrupted them. It bonged three times.

Jaune's eyes narrowed.

"Is there a problem?" Weiss asked.

"Ah. No. That is a summons bell."

"Summons?"

"For… For the guards." He smiled awkwardly. "A certain sect of them. Forgive me, I believe I'm being called away for the evening. You needn't worry. It's probably just a meeting to discuss how we'll work a rotation out to guard the wall. Or the hole in it."

Reasonable, if a little odd they wouldn't have decided upon that already. Maybe they had. Jaune and Sun were Newbloods, and so likely the last to know. _Still, that bell seemed to come from the far edge of the Collegium. I can't think of much down that way other than the Sanctum._

"I really must go." Jaune had already half-turned away, one foot back and ready to run. "I will talk to you tomorrow. Tell Ruby I'm safe and well!"

"Y-Yes." Weiss watched him sprint away. "I… I suppose I shall do that…"

* * *

**On the issue of "Did Ruby make the floods worse" it should be a hard no. The reason the floods are higher isn't because Ruby broke the river in two to flood the city, but because twice the floodwater came down as a result of the White Arcana's actions in the mountains. If Ruby didn't divert the second wave, it would have swept over and killed many more people while they were catching their breath **_**thinking**_** the worst of it was over.**

* * *

**Next Chapter: 9****th**** February**

**P a treon . com (slash) Coeur **


	28. Chapter 28

**So, yeah. As I warned in Relic and downright expected, a thin aerial that handles all my houses internet does not in fact stand up well to extreme winds. I found it buried point down in the horse's field nearby. Funnily enough, it wasn't doing much for my signal from all the way over there. **

**And the power cuts all day. Christ, the power cuts.**

* * *

**Cover Art:** Z-ComiX

**Chapter 28**

* * *

"Can we talk?"

Ruby looked around, silently pointing out that het, they were here, and shocker, they were talking. Raising a hand, she gestured for Weiss to continue.

"Privately."

"Did I… do something wrong?"

"What?" Weiss appeared shocked. "No, I…" Swallowing, she looked away. "No, you're not. This… I… Can we just talk in our room? Away from all this?"

`All this` presumably being the cramped and over-excited dorm common room. With the rain still going like mad, it was packed full to the rafters. Worse, the Initiates were becoming stir crazy and some had concocted a game involving controlling a small flickering flame through a series of water hoops. How no one was on fire yet was a mystery.

She'd offered to take Weiss to see the Azure Archives so they could sit in the comfy seats in front of the fire. Weiss had smiled but not agreed at the time and now she was beginning to see why. "Um. Okay. Now?"

Weiss nodded and they slipped up, Ruby wondering what the problem was. Had Weiss noticed her cast the magic that broke the wall down? Did she know? Every step had Ruby shaking just a little more, scanning each corridor to make sure there wasn't an ambush waiting. With the wall down, getting out would be easier – provided she could break through the veritable wall of guards and Arcanists.

"Take a seat," Weiss said once they were inside. A bit strange to offer when it was _her_ room as well, but Ruby sat on the bed. Weiss, meanwhile, paced back and forth. "I have… I would like to formally… Hmph. This was easier in my head. There is something I must tell you."

Ruby waited as her friend trailed off. "Yes?" she prompted.

"I'm thinking of the right way to say it!"

"Couldn't you have thought of that before this point?"

"I did!" Weiss said. "I just… changed my mind. Reconsidered. This is not easy for me. I did not think this would ever be an issue. The fact it is could be called a good thing, but at the same time I'm unprepared for it. I am… I am afraid of the consequences."

Ruby felt a thrill of fear. "Is this about the wall collapsing?"

"What? No. Nothing to do with it."

"Oh." She relaxed. "In that case, I don't see what it could be. Just say it. I won't bite."

"Just say it. As though it is so simple. Fine." Huffing, she came to a stop. "You've no doubt been wondering what those outside meant when they referred to me as the daughter of a merchant. That you haven't said it may be politeness, but I imagine it's been on your mind."

"Uh. Not really."

Weiss balked. "What!?"

To be fair, the only thing on her mind had been her wild magic and what was going to happen now. Beyond that and even if it wasn't the case, she didn't think it would have bothered her. "I mean, he called you the daughter of a merchant. Seems pretty obvious to me. Your mom or dad was a merchant."

"My father."

"There you go." Ruby waited for more. "Is that it…?"

"What do you mean `is that it`!?" she shouted. "I have just confessed to my blood not being nearly half as blue as yours!"

"My blood is red."

"Blue blood as in a noble."

"Oh. Right. That."

"It's a matter of shame," Weiss continued, shaking her head. "Not only that my father is a mere merchant, but that he puts on airs and pretends otherwise. It hardly helps that even the noble side of my family became so destitute as to require the marriage to reverse their ill-fortune. Whether I am known by my father or mother's name, it's one that does little but embarrass."

"Why?" Ruby asked. "If they love one another-"

"They do not love one another."

"Oh…"

"Mother married because the family required her to. Father did because he reached as high as he could and saw it as an opportunity to buy his way into the nobility. He dresses as one, acts as one and throws feasts like they are going out of fashion. To his face, even the other noble families praise him and his generosity, but only because they wish to benefit from it. It's a different matter behind his back, as you've no doubt seen from how their children act here."

"Is that why they're so mean to you? Ignore them. They're jerks."

"You're not… upset about this?" Weiss sounded amazed.

"Should I be? You're still you."

"Yes, I realise, but doesn't this paint my earlier actions as hypocritical? I spent so long chastising you for not acting like a noble. Me, the daughter of a merchant, criticising a noble for not acting as she felt they should."

"Ah, well. I don't act like one either…"

"No." Weiss chuckled. "No, you don't."

Ruby wished she would explain why. With Weiss offering such a confession, it seemed like the good time for her to chip in but her own was so much worse. Even if she told of being a Dredger, that'd only raise the question of _why_ she was here. Lead to the Wildmage angle and it was all over. The Arcanists knew the Wildmage was in the slums too, so even if she said she was from there but snuck in to learn how to use her totally normal magic, once Weiss found out about the Wildmage running around, she'd put two and two together.

"I still thought you should know. I didn't want to ignore the issue and let it grow worse." Seemingly more relaxed now that she knew this wasn't going to go badly, Weiss sat on her bed. "I apologise for how… critical I was of you before. It was just that seeing a noble be so crass upset me. I thought it was your way of mocking me. Showing me that even acting like that, you're more a noble than I'll ever be."

"What? No, I-"

"I know." She smiled. "I realised soon after it's just you being you."

"Is that an insult or a compliment?" Ruby asked.

"This time, it's a compliment. Thank you for accepting this." Weiss sighed. "It's been awkward dealing with people with this hanging over my head. Father's so desperate to push us deeper into the nobility that he expects more and more. My elder sister is a famous knight. My younger brother is being taught to manage an estate. I was as well, before I unlocked my power, at which point I was sent here."

"Is your dad upset about that?"

"No. Quite the opposite. A knight, an Arcanist and a noble as his children. He's thrilled to have engaged the family with _so much_ of nobility in one generation. It's just that he expects a lot of us. I am to represent the family as best I can. That's why it was quite distressing to find out just how disconnected the Collegium is from the world outside."

"Is that how you knew Jaune?" she asked. "Because you'd been introduced to so many nobles?"

Weiss looked down again, swallowing loudly. "Not quite. Father… Father wished to have me wed to him."

Ruby's head recoiled. "You're engaged to Jaune!?"

"No. No!" Weiss hurried to assure her, and for all the wrong reasons. "I'm not in your way there, Ruby, and it didn't work out. We were… I won't call it a rejection because there was no other suitor, but the Arc family politely turned down the union. Why Jaune and I are familiar is because in an effort to help us save face from such a humiliation, they allowed it to look as though he and I were exploring the possibility. We spent some time together as…" Weiss trailed off.

"Friends?"

"No." Her eyes closed, and she sighed. "I thought it was at the time, but after seeing how he interacts with you now, and also myself; I can see that what we had was nothing more than polite sympathy on his part."

"Weiss…"

"I'm not upset about that now. I do consider him a friend now thanks to you. I am happier now than I have been for a while, so don't pity me. Also, life would have been worse if we agreed to marry, I can't help but think. I'm not disappointed in how things turned out."

"Good." Ruby stood and walked over, plopping down next to her and wrapping an arm around her. Weiss stiffened initially, but soon relaxed into her. "Because you're my friend no matter what you are or where you came from, and that means I don't like it when you're unhappy."

Weiss chuckled. "Thank you. I feel the same way."

"You don't like it when you're unhappy?"

"The _other _way!" Weiss said, laughing and pushing her gently. "When you're unhappy, you dolt."

"I was just teasing."

"Ugh. You're insufferable."

"But we're friends, right?"

"Yes. Much to my despair, we are friends." Weiss didn't look too upset, even if she tried her best. "And nothing will change that, I believe. You and I shall be friends for a long time."

Ruby smiled.

_I hope you're right about that, Weiss._

/-/

Was it cognitive dissonance that let Yang be so relaxed about all this? Blake didn't know. As two days came and went, they continued to do what little they could for the people rescued from the slums. They only saw a couple of thousand but Yang assured her there were many thousands more likely waiting outside in the flooded farmland, and then even more still in the slums themselves, despite it being a slowly dwindling lake by this point.

To hear that so many had died was almost too much for her, but Yang took it in stride. Said it so easily. Not a thousand to the first waters, Yang had explained this morning with a laugh – a laugh! – no, when she mentioned a thousand dying, she meant over the course of the malady. Hundreds to the first water, a couple more after as things went wrong, and then the most to come later when starvation, disease and rot set in.

It wasn't even over yet. The slums were flooded and to hear Yang, this was but the first stage in an annual ordeal that would yet claim many more lives. _Calling it a tragedy doesn't feel right. A tragedy can't be prevented. Why haven't the Arcanists diverted this?_

As ever, one Collegium's methods were a mystery to another. Menagerie never did this because it hadn't needed to. Their water came from a lake that routinely filled when the rain came. When it overflowed, it did so into natural channels that ran down to the ocean nearby. Far more likely were storms that could send waves crashing onto shore, but even those were less devastating than this.

And far from having them help the cold and shaking people pulled out from the water, Yang had her buying and storing food in bulk. The latter made easier because their host family, which she kept enthralled, owned a warehouse nearby.

"Those up here are better off then most others," Yang said. "Trust me. The worst is yet to come, so we'll do a lot more helping deal with that. More than anyone else ever did, anyway."

That was hard to hear. For all she did her best, she was but one person and this was money conned away from Merchants. If they really wished to, the Merchants could have fed the slums multiple times over by donating but five per cent of their wealth. Even less if the nobles chipped in. That they hadn't was galling.

Vale was like a different world compared to Menagerie.

"How will we get it to them without riots?"

"We'll have to use Junior and the consortiums."

"Those gangs!? They'll steal all the credit."

"Is that a bad thing?" Yang closed the warehouse doors and sneezed, catching her face with one hand. She rubbed her hand over her nose, under the new scar granted by a hurled rock in their desperate escape. "Not like we want to be seen doing this. Might be hard to explain how we did otherwise."

Hard enough to explain to the gangs as well, but she could see the point. They'd need to make sure those criminals didn't try and charge or make a profit off this, but Yang likely had a plan. Of more concern was the redness of her nose and the way she shivered. "You're sick."

"S'just a cold."

"A cold can kill. And knowing you, you're hiding just how bad this is."

Yang cracked a grin. "Since when do you know me?"

Since she had to spend so much time with her. Blake scowled and stepped forward, taking and tilting the girl's head back so she could look in her eyes. They were clammy and red, the edges rimmed with crimson. "We need a doctor."

"C-Can talk to the Alchemist."

"A _real_ doctor. Not some drug dealer masquerading as a healer."

That would be a problem. She couldn't weave an illusion over such a person without impacting their prognosis. They'd have to _see_ Yang properly to be able to understand what was going on. They had money, fortunately. Asking their hosts to summon their personal healer would be of no use. They'd see that she and Yang were not as the family did and quickly raise the issue. Her illusions were good, but they were not able to take control of someone's mind. Provide enough proof they were false and a person could break through them.

On a Wildmage like Ruby, they wouldn't take hold. Blake knew, having tried just that the first time they met – and the second, when Ruby looked prepared to kill her. A Wildmage really was terrifying. Their magic was just too turbulent, cascading over her delicate spells and ripping them to shreds without thought.

Shadow magic was soft. Subtle. It was like weaving a delicate shawl as thin as gossamer and gently laying it over a person. Trying any of that around Ruby was like wrestling a snake in a hurricane while your hair was on fire.

Finding a healer wasn't hard. The Merchant's Quarter made a typical home for them since the noble had the money to call on the Emerald Arcana. Blake knocked on the door of a building with the mortar, pestle and flower symbol of a healer outside it. The lights inside were on and she waited for the door to open, Yang leaning against her side looking all too defeated.

A woman answered the door. Older, well-dressed and carrying a lantern in hand, a burning candle encased inside behind thick glass.

"My friend is sick," Blake said. "We'd like you to-"

"I don't do charity!" The woman made to close the door.

Blake stuck her foot in, stopping it. "I'm not asking you to. I've brought money. We'll pay."

"You can't afford me."

"I beg to differ." Blake pulled out a pouch of coins bursting full and jingled it before the woman.

"Stolen coin? Do you think I'm an idiot?"

It was stolen, but she didn't know that. "Do I _sound_ like a thief to you, madam?" Blake asked imperiously. For all that she was one, she was still an Arcanist. A noble. In Menagerie, her rank had not been lowly. Her voice told the story. "I am here as a paying customer and you shall treat me as such, or I shall be having words with the guard. My friend is sick-"

"Leave it, Blake," Yang mumbled.

"No. I shall not leave it." Pushing the door open with her foot, she forced the woman back. "If there is a problem, you should-"

"Dredger!" the woman shrieked. "A Dredger is forcing their way into my shop!"

People outside began to cluster and watch, muttering to themselves, some angrily. Trapped in the doorway, Blake cursed and briefly considered using a spell to mollify the woman and have her usher the crowd away. Before she could, the matter was taken out of her hands as two guards pushed through the crowd.

"Now then," one shouted. "What's all this?"

"Dredgers!" the woman yelled before Blake could explain. "Breaking into my shop, my home. Filthy disease brings rummaging through trash and fetid water. I have good and innocent people sick inside and they'll only make them worse."

"I am no Dredger!" Blake said loudly, intoning every word carefully. "To suggest such is an affront and I shall not stand for it." Taking the coin purse, she showed off the gold within. "I am a paying customer seeking treatment for a companion of mine. This woman denies us it."

The Guard looked at the coin, Blake and then the healer. "Doesn't _sound_ like a Dredger."

"She may not be," the healer said, "But _she_ is!" Angrily, she pointed at Yang. "I've no time for good folk who mistake charity for interference. I would treat her were she sick, but I won't treat some sickly Dredger she's fished out the water."

Yang laughed hoarsely.

Blake's blood boiled. "Where I come from, it is considered a crime to refuse custom to a paying customer based on their characteristics."

"Sounds like a nasty place you come from," the guard said. "Vale is a free Kingdom. People can conduct themselves how they wish here."

"Free to discriminate and act like this!?"

"Freedom is freedom." He used the butt of his spear to push Blake away from the door. The woman smiled victoriously, sneering down on her. "You'll have to take your _friend_," he withheld his own sneer at the word, "elsewhere. There's illness aplenty with the floods here and it's only going to get worse."

"It'll be worse with her kind up here!" the healer said.

The crowd murmured their agreement. Blake couldn't believe it. Shaking and mentally running through several spells that would have them frightened or tricked into killing themselves, she struggled to contain her rage.

"Don't bother," Yang mumbled. "Won't change nuthin'."

It would make her feel better. But, as Yang likely knew, it would make things worse for _other_ Dredgers. Scowling both at the guards and at the healer, Blake trudged away. "I will remember your face," she said to the woman.

The healer offered her a dismissive gesture.

She would see if that held tonight when Blake visited her for funds for the morrow. There'd certainly not be a mark telling her she couldn't raid this house. And perhaps even smash up a few things along the way. Petty? Yes. Vindictive? Surely. Right now, she was feeling it.

"We'll find somewhere else," she promised.

"Won't," Yang said. "Alchemist has a place up here…"

"I'm not taking you there, Yang!"

"You'll have to." Yang sighed, giving in. "You'll see…"

/-/

Blake slammed her fist on the door until it opened, then glared at the sleazy and irritated face of the man who opened it. The Alchemist. The same one she'd seen and heard speak in Yang's little meeting with the less desirable factions of the slums. He looked and smelled worse up close than he did from a distance. Not filthy, but a mixture of sharp and pungent scents mixed into a medley of nasal burning. She was sure the pocks and sores across his face were from sitting too close to fumes and noxious chemicals.

No one would help Yang. No one.

Of the few that didn't bodily throw them out, the ones who _had_ shown sympathy had reluctantly explained they were already full or couldn't risk exacerbating their patients by bringing a new sickness in. Dredgers after the flood brought disease. That, apparently, was a given in Vale and not even Yang denied it.

"Do I know y-" The man's eyes trailed to the girl at her side. "Oh my, is that you, Yang?" Chuckling, the man opened the door. "I'm so happy to see you safe and sound. Come in. Come in. Oh, it _has_ been a while since we talked. Welcome to my humble abode. Rented, I'm afraid. I can't quite afford to live here full time."

It was a small and dinghy home compared to the one they were staying at. Blake brought Yang in and curtly explained why they were here.

"Yes. Yes. It's common, you know. All that water the cold, added with stress and exhaustion and you have a home for sickness. It'll only get worse once the water drains. Not all of it does, you see. Pools left behind to grow fetid. Insects and pests and stray animals." He shook his head, leading them deeper into the home. "Samantha? Oh, where are you, Samantha?"

A delirious and bumbling reply came from a side room. The Alchemist led them in and Blake almost swore. Laid out on a couch, completely naked, was a young girl who couldn't have been older than them. There wasn't a stitch of clothing on her but the sofa she was on was sticky and stank of sex. Worse, was the empty and muddy look on her face. Her eyes swivelled, not quite seeing them but moaning out regardless.

"Don't," Yang mumbled. "Don't start anything."

"Are you _seeing_ this?" Blake hissed.

"Hm." The Alchemist looked back and rolled his eyes. "Oh, it's not like that. She's paid for this." He chuckled. "Or rather, I'm paying by letting her stay here. Little thing didn't have a way out the floods and asked for my help. Offered her body as payment. Who am I to deny someone in need?"

Sick. Blake had already disliked the man but wanted nothing more than to stab him now. It hardly got better when he walked by the girl, slapping a bare ass cheek in the process. The girl slipped off the sofa and writhed on the floor, lost in some drug fuelled ecstasy.

"If you try and feed us any of that, you won't survive the attempt," Blake warned.

"Oh, come now. I would not run afoul of Junior like that anyway. And Yang would do worse to me than you could, little girl."

"Kick your ass," Yang mumbled.

"Yes. Yes. I know. How is your sister, Yang? Well?"

"Alive."

"Good. Good. Ruby is such a sweet little thing." He had his back to them as he rummaged in a pack on his desk. "Well, bring her over here, girl. Lay her down so I can get a look at her. On the desk here. Yang, I shall need you to take off your clothes."

"Fuck off and die."

"Ha ha. Worth a shot, no? Fine. I'll need you to keep your eyes open regardless. Open your mouth as well. Relax, I shan't be putting anything in it."

He wouldn't be with her there. Blake laid Yang down and stepped back, content in the fact that the Alchemist didn't have the slightest idea what power she had. She kept an eye on him either way, watching as he peered over Yang, poked, prodded and hummed. He had her open her mouth and leaned in to look. He asked some questions as to how she felt and held his fingers to her neck for a minute or two.

As examinations went, it was startlingly normal. Enough that she could tell he'd had _some_ formal training in the healing arts. That was almost a given. Medicine and poison were not far removed, and to make drugs that caused such addiction would require some degree of tutelage. You couldn't bumble around with that and not kill people.

"You have a fever. I can't say what from exactly, but I would expect it's related to the flood. Hard not to be. You should stay out of the cold. If you need a place, I have another couch free…"

"We have a place," Blake hissed. "Your _hospitality_ won't be needed."

He laughed. "Oh my. And I was being so generous. There's still the matter of payment before I offer anything. I don't mind favours-" The coin pouch jingled down beside Yang's head. "Or coin," he said, sounding disappointed. "I suppose that would work as well. I have a fever reducer that will cause her body to heat up, burning out the fever."

"How addictive is it?" Blake asked immediately.

"Not very, given the absolute _agony_ she'll feel." He brought out a second vial and set it down on the side. That one had a powder in it. "That's why I suggest this to reduce the pain. A little on her tongue, or under it, and she'll not be able to feel anything."

The way Yang shied away from it, even exhausted as she was, told Blake a lot. "And that one?"

"All good things in life are tempting. It's up to the individual to resist."

"Or we could skip that one entirely."

"You could," he said, "But I would not suggest it. There is a reason I would offer the two together, but I ca see that you won't hear it. Very well. Take both. You've paid for them." He took the entire pouch, the bastard. "If she doesn't wish to take the pain reliever, then that's fine. If she does, that can be your choice. There's enough there for five doses either way."

"And the medicine?"

"One dose. That's all she'll need."

So, the five doses were for addiction. One to reduce the pain of the medicine and the other four for when Yang got inevitably hooked on it. Enough to make it worse so that she'd have to come to him for more. Blake took both with a scowl. If nothing else, it could prove a viable poison should the Huntsmen come for them.

/-/

Blank faces stood in a crowd, looking up at the white robed figure on a raised platform. Her robes fell from her long sleeves, her face spread not in joy but despair. The sanctity of the Collegium had been breached, as well they knew.

"The Wildmage struck at us for reasons we know not. An attempt to punish us for our actions in attempting to subdue her before, or just ambition. The reasons don't matter. What stands is that she has declared war on us and it is up to us of the White, alongside the Crimson and even the Huntsmen and the Sanctum itself, to stand against such a threat."

The crowd didn't respond. Not a voice. Not a flicker of a smile. The blank faces watched and listened.

"To that end, our allies from Atlas have come to aid, and brought with them a team of Arcanists specially dedicated to hunting down and dealing with Wildmages. They will be conducting their own operations but the huntsmen are to answer to Vale Arcanists only. Still, we would ask you tender aid if requested. I present to you James Ironwood, Arcanist of the Atlas Collegium."

The man that took the stage was heavyset, tall and no stranger to combat of the physical sort. They could recognise it in the way he moved and the way he stood. Tense. Steadfast. Even. His eyes roamed over them and he nodded, pleased with what he saw.

"Atlas is not here to take over, nor is it here to enforce our creeds upon you. We are here as allies. Friends. Though we should not require your aid, we will nevertheless thank any who choose to give it. If we do need to call upon you, we shall ask permission from the White, the Sanctum or the Grand Arcanist himself."

"Our team is experienced in handling Wildmages. Each has hunted down at least three." He gestured to the five people beside him. They stood in their white and red robes, hands linked behind their backs and eyes ahead. They, at least, appeared a little more nervous stood before so many blank and frightening faces. Not in appearance, but perhaps in mannerism. In the eyes. "Already looking at the situation here in Vale, we have noticed a disturbing occurrence. Though the Wildmage acted and lives within what you term the slums, the bell towers constructed around them did _not_ resonate when the attack on the Collegium began. The Wildmage was not in the slums."

That prompted some minor reaction. A whisper here. A widening of the eyes there. The rest was muted, though the surprise was still felt. The implication was bare.

"We cannot yet prove if she simply moved from the slums to cast or if she is elsewhere, but given her power, we cannot rule out the possibility she may have wormed her way into a higher position. Or worse, killed someone and taken over their name and identity. As such, we shall be conducting searches of the Lower and Upper Districts, and, should that fail, of the Collegium itself. Be wary," he told them. "Keep your eyes open. Such a threat as this has not been seen for decades and we stand as eternal guard against it." The Arcanist slammed a fist against his chest.

The assembled mass of Huntsmen did the same, moving in unison. Among them, Jaune's blonde hair contrasted with the greying and white on either side. If the Wildmage was close to the Collegium, everyone might be in danger. Sun. Weiss. Even Ruby.

_I won't fail next time. I will end her before she ends us. I swear it._

* * *

**Again, sorry about this coming a day late. Kind of had no choice with waking up to no internet, opening the blinds to see the aerial stabbed in the field and going "Oh. That's why…"**

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**Next Chapter: 16****th**** February**

**P a treon . com (slash) Coeur **


	29. Chapter 29

**Yes, the same happened again this weekend with no internet. I had it Sunday morning and got complacent, then lost it the rest of the day. Should have known it was faltering when I was doing a writing lesson on Skype and the dreaded circly symbol of doom hovered on every message I sent for a few seconds before it would appear.**

**In case you also don't get the alert (but do subscribe to it) Null will have been updated alongside this. Last week was the same but I got some messages that people didn't get alerts. I think that if two or more stories are updated at once the site doesn't like it.**

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**Cover Art:** Z-ComiX

**Chapter 29**

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Blake kept her head down, tugging her hood low as she pushed through the market square and down a side street. The merchants were just starting to come out and start work again and the rain had stopped for the first time this morning. The air was cold and wet, the ground wetter, and while the slums were still flooded, it appeared the worst of the floods were over.

Walking along the edge of the wall, she could see that the water level now reached up two thirds of the height it had. There was no telling how quickly things would return to normal. If it continued at the rate it was, a week. It might slow down as the ground became waterlogged, though. She'd have to ask Yang if that was the case.

The merchants were the only ones out in force today. Hooded figures in ornate robes worked along the edges of the outer wall constructing more bell towers. Soon, the city would be one big orchestral display. Blake wondered what excuse the Arcanists were giving and whether anyone bought it.

More proof Ruby was responsible for the city's upper districts flooding. Yang wasn't willing to believe it just yet, but all the evidence pointed to it. Blake kept her eyes down as she walked past someone who felt like they were only half there. Resisting the instinctual shiver, she kept going as any normal girl might.

The Huntsman didn't challenge her.

_They're out in force. We'll have to be careful._ Even if they were looking for the Wildmage, they would take her if they found her. The magic she was using on the merchant family would need to be cut down. Problematic given Yang's condition. Stepping off the main road, she ducked into a quieter set of homes and knocked on the door, weaving a small illusion around herself.

"You're back." The wife of the man whose house they were staying at greeted the air above her with a wan smile. Blake hadn't thought to memorise their names. "Your daughter is still feeling under the weather I'm afraid."

"I'll take care of her." Blake trusted her magic to make her voice sound however the woman expected to hear it. Deeper, probably. They'd referred to her as male a few times. "We'd appreciate some of the soup you're cooking."

"Of course. How is business with my darling coming along?"

"Well. I'm sure we shall agree on a contract soon enough."

"That's good. I'll go finish dinner. Can I take your cloak?"

Surrendering it, Blake stepped past the portly woman and into the home she'd claimed as her own. They'd have to move on soon. Her illusions could keep the family interested for a while, but they were just that. Delay this promised trade deal long enough and they might start to become suspicious. With any luck, Yang would be better before they had to relocate. Opening a door, Blake stepped into their shared room.

"Ooooh." Yang's sheets had been tossed aside. She lay atop the mattress, bedding strewn everywhere and sweat covering her body, causing her thin shirt to stick to her skin and turn see-through. Her normally well-kept hair was a mess. "Ahhh." Shaking, she clenched her entire body and arched her back, then crashed down with a whimper.

Blake stepped up. "How do you feel?"

_Idiot,_ she thought. _How does it look like she feels?_

"Blake…?" Yang's eyes were puffy and red. At first, she thought tears, but she soon noticed they were entirely bloodshot. "I… I feel… ughhh."

"That bad, huh?" There was a basin of water and a cloth on the side. Blake took it and dapped it across Yang's face, cleaning up sweat and administering a cool layer of moisture on her fevered flesh.

"D-Did he give anything t-to m-make the pain go away?"

Blake stilled.

"H-He normally gives… ah… t-tinctures."

"I threw it away," Blake lied. "I'm sorry."

"Oh." Yang looked like she might weep. "T-That's p-probably for the best. I… I ahhh!"

"Don't talk." Blake continued wiping her down, peeling Yang's clothing off and giving her a cold sponge bath on the bed. The proud girl would probably beat her senseless for it later, but she needed it for now. As she rubbed down Yang's shoulders and over her chest, she couldn't help but shake her head.

_An Emerald Arcanist could have her healed in no time. Relying on some cruel peddler when there are people who could heal her less than a kilometre away. What is the world coming to?_ Her own limited experience with medicine wasn't helping. The problem with living in a Collegium was that you got used to its conveniences. The Emerald Arcana was a part of that.

The small vial of powder in her pocket burned against her skin. It would take care of all Yang's problems and it was clear she wanted it. Clear she was hurting. Was it concern that prevented her giving it over, or arrogance? The idea she knew better than an actual healer, no matter how dodgy he might be.

No. It couldn't be worth it. Pain was temporary. Addiction could last forever.

"You'll be alright soon," she said. "The Alchemist promised you'd only need the one treatment. Assuming he can be trusted…"

"D-Doesn't fail," Yang wept. "Hurts, b-but never fails…"

Medicine shouldn't hurt this badly anyway. Yang was burning up under her cloth, water drying off her skin in little puffs of steam. Maybe it was just the way things had to be done in the slums. If you had to work to keep yourself alive, you couldn't afford to take it easy with slow-acting medicine and a week or more of rest. You needed something that had you back on your feet immediately.

"How long does it usually take? You've experienced this before, right?"

"R-Ruby?" Yang asked. Her eyes looked through Blake. "You're okay, Ruby. It's okay. I'm here…"

Fuck. It wasn't the first time Yang faded off into hallucinations. The first time she'd been more afraid, but this was… what, the fourth? It didn't always last long and she usually passed out after. A blessed moment to catch some rest without Yang whimpering or crying away.

Despite that Yang couldn't feel it, she kept rubbing her down, cleaning her up and replacing the blankets with fresh ones, even towelling down the bed and shifting Yang over to another while it dried. There was something sickening in seeing her like this. Useless as Yang was, not being an Arcanist, she wasn't weak. The usual smirk, insult and mocking words that she'd hated for so long would be a welcome break.

"You better snap out of this soon," Blake grumbled, tucking Yang in. "Can't believe I'm saying this, but I miss the old Yang."

"Ruby…" Yang murmured. "Ruby…"

"Is fine." Blake stroked the girl's damp hair. "I'm sure she's fine."

/-/

The walls were still being guarded.

Ruby watched from a fair distance, but since so many other Initiates were as well, she didn't bother trying to hide it. The rain had stopped and the Arcanists had damned the second river, cutting it off so more water couldn't pump into the Upper District. The wall had also begun repair, only reaching about eight feet tall but enough to block sight of outside. They'd been quick to force that much, even if the builders were now taking their time.

The first wall felt like a temporary barrier hastily thrown up to keep them locked in. Cinder's words came back to mind and Ruby found she couldn't quite dismiss them. _It's like we're prisoners. They're terrified of us even seeing the world outside._

That was a problem since she was desperate to get out.

Not, for once, because of the surges. The outpouring of magic required to bring the wall down had solved that problem. It was Yang that was the issue. Even if she was sure her big sister could look after herself, this was the first time in her life she hadn't been with her. If anything, that'd make Yang _more_ likely to get out safe, but that didn't stop her worrying.

Ruby paced the wet grass lawns, mud squelching underfoot. There were so many Arcanists on the walls. Not just the downed section but _all_ of them. If she went in with invisibility, she was sure to be noticed. No matter how hard she looked, now just wasn't a good time to try and sneak out. Ruby scowled and kicked at the floor.

Yang couldn't read. Blake probably could, but how was she meant to get a letter to the slums without looking suspicious? There was no good explanation for it. Even saying she'd met and befriended someone there would sound ridiculous – she was meant to have arrived and instantly made for the Collegium.

_I don't even know where I'd address a letter to. And what if Junior or someone opened it? _

That was even before the thought of trusting Blake; someone who had essentially lied and thrown her to the wolves all to draw the attention of the Arcanists. Not exactly great reasons to put faith in her. How long were they going to guard the walls, anyway? Until they were rebuilt? How long would that take!?

The tolling of bells cut Ruby's thoughts off. It wasn't the bells in the distance of the slums but one deeper within the Collegium. Ruby hesitated, unsure what it was supposed to mean, but she quickly noticed Arcanists closing in from every side.

Her heart leapt into her throat.

"There is a summons," one of them spoke out loudly, not only for her sake but the others around her. "All Initiates are being summoned to the food hall. Please make your way there immediately and await further instruction."

Okay. They weren't coming for her. Ruby relaxed a little but only that. As far as she knew, they were meant to have it easy while things were repaired. Maybe this was an announcement about that. If they knew the truth, there was no way they'd put her among a bunch of noble children.

The others were already moving so Ruby filed in behind them, listening to them ask the same questions she had. They came to the same conclusions too, deciding this was to tell them about the delay in lessons or an update to the rules. The fact they thought the same as her was a small comfort and by the time she reached the main school building and saw hundreds filing in, she'd relaxed entirely.

"Ruby!" Weiss came hurrying over. "There you are. I was worried I'd lose you in the crowd. Do you have any idea what's happening?"

"Announcement, maybe?"

"Perhaps." Weiss kept close and they followed others, easily spotting familiar faces from class and also Coco alongside Yatsuhashi. "I suppose that makes sense, what with it being the school building and all. The food hall must be the largest place from which to speak to us."

The larges indoor and dry space, Ruby noted. They might have used the fields outside otherwise but you couldn't expect nobles to stand in the mud. Oh, no, no, no. That, and so many people doing so at once would churn it up into a swamp.

She pulled Weiss to the side once they were in, quickly finding a corner at the back where they could avoid the crushing mass of bodies. Weiss complained at first but relented when Ruby pointed out they could be the first out after the announcement. It had nothing to do with not wanting to be squashed among all those bodies of course or having room to escape if needs be. Nothing at all.

Soon, the hall was full of people. The tables had been moved to the sides of the room to allow a large open space. The doors behind weren't closed; something she was grateful for. There were no Arcanists in the hall, however.

_It can't be a trap. They wouldn't hurt this many people to get to me. Would they?_

The crowd hushed when a door opened at the back end of the hall – the servant's entrance. Out walked not one of the chefs, but a tall and broad man with black hair swept with white. That was about all she could make out from a distance, but the way he carried himself screamed `not a mark` to her experienced eyes. The kind of guy you didn't try and pickpocket no matter how heavy his pouch looked.

His robes looked heavier than the usual ones. White with red and gold trim, along with a thick fur lining along the hood and shoulders. It was fancy but utilitarian. It would have been good cover in a storm or heavy snow. The man strode to the head of the hall with Glynda Goodwitch behind him, then stepped up onto one of the tables that had been covered with a draped cloth of blue. He stood with both hands linked behind his back, waiting without saying a word for them to be silent.

It didn't take long.

"Students," Arcanist Goodwitch intoned. "This is Arcanist James Ironwood from Atlas. He is an esteemed guest and friend of the Grand Arcanist himself, and here to assist with a matter most important to your – and the Collegium's – safety. I ask you both listen and take to heart his words today." Nodding, she stepped aside. "They are yours, James."

"Thank you, Glynda." The smile he offered the white-robed woman was just a shade warmer than mere politeness. When he turned to them, any such warmth had faded. "Initiates of the Vale Collegium. Thank you for coming. I understand you have taken time out of your busy days to be here and shall reward you by keeping this brief."

"As you have seen, the wall of the Collegium has been brought low. Many of you witnessed this take place, and the chasm open to form a second river. Though I am sure many of you have figured this out already, such was not a natural occurrence. I am here today to confirm this. It was the work of a Rogue Arcanist acting against the Collegium."

Startled muttering erupted from the crowd, along with gasps and nods from those who had either suspected it all along or wanted to act like they had. Ruby kept quiet, as did Weiss. Arcanist Ironwood did as well, standing without speaking as the sound slowly died down.

"I am here today as a guest of Grand Arcanist Ozpin," he said once they were quiet. "My task is to assist in both defending the Collegium and rooting out this criminal Arcanist and bringing them to justice."

An Arcanist and not a Wildmage. Had they gotten it wrong and missed her?

"We know not yet what motives this Arcanist has to target the Collegium, but they have made their intention clear. We believe they may even by trying to strike against one of you." He let the startled gasps wash over the crowds.

Amongst them, no one heard Ruby mutter "bullshit" under her breath.

"With many representatives of Noble families here, it would be easy to cause political instability by targeting you. Or this may even have been targeted at just one of you. When you join here – when you join any Collegium – you are told to put aside political feuds. You are Arcanists now. Your calling is greater. Not everyone is able to do that, and it seems our Rogue is of that ilk. They see your time here as an opportunity to strike." His voice boomed. "They are scum."

The crowd voiced their approval. Weiss did not, nor did Ruby.

"I will ask each of you to remember that you are not nobles from various houses with your schisms and your histories, but proud Arcanists of Vale. You are the next generation of protectors of this Kingdom, and of Remnant. No matter what your issues with one another, do not forget that fact."

Calling for unity was all well and good, but why? They knew why she acted. They knew what she was, where she was based and what she was capable of. They knew that everything he was spouting now was so much nonsense. Even if they didn't know _who_ she was, they knew she wasn't a noble with a grudge against a certain family, so why claim it?

"The Collegium and the Arcanists here will work tirelessly to protect you. I and my team will be doing the same, but we shall also be hunting down the rogue responsible." He gestured beside him and five people stepped up onto the table. Their robes were various shades of red and white, almost like a uniform. Each of them looked like the kind of person who could go toe to toe with Yang and come out swinging. "We are Specialists from Atlas. This is Clover, Vine, Marrow, Elm and Harriet. If they approach you, please give them the respect they deserve. Clover has a few words."

The most muscular of the men stepped up. He had a nice smile.

Ruby was wary of it.

"Hello all," he greeted warmly. "My name is Clover Ebi. You can just call me Clover – no need for `Lord Arcanist` or the like. As part of our goal to protect you all from this rogue, we're going to provide each of you a bracelet created by the Black Arcana in Atlas." He raised one up for them to see, and Ruby noted he wore one on his wrist. "This will allow us to locate you in the event something happens or you are taken outside the Collegium wall. If that happens, rest assured we will hurry to your rescue."

_They want to track us,_ Ruby thought instantly.

"I'm going to ask each of you to come up after and allow us to give one of these to you. They're for your own safety, so while I'm aware they're not the prettiest of things, rest assured you'll not be alone in wearing them." He showed off his own with a smile. "Don't worry about breaking them either. They're made to be as resistant as possible."

"These are for your protection," Ironwood interrupted. "And as such, we will ask you to keep them on at all times. Remove them and we shall believe you in peril and move to assist you. Please do not waste our time unless it is an emergency. Now, please form an orderly line and come receive yours."

/-/

The heavy metal _shackle_ bumped against her wrist, Ruby turning her hand upside down and letting it slide up and down her arm. It fit well and didn't look horrible, nor was it overly heavy, but with the weight of what it represented, she couldn't stop feeling it.

"It's not that bad," Weiss said. "You've been playing with it for the past hour."

"It's annoying."

"I'm surprised you're the one to say that. I'd expect some prissy girl to be upset about it ruining her looks. I didn't think you'd care."

Ruby grumbled to herself, glaring at the thing. They'd taken the names of everyone who came up, marking them down. The reason they gave was that they wanted to know who was in trouble if it came to it, but she was sure that didn't matter. They'd save whoever it was without caring if that was the goal. This was to make sure no one got away without wearing one.

_And just like this, I'm more a prisoner than I already was._

Damn it. Cinder's theories were getting in her head. She'd _chosen_ to come here. To learn. This was something she'd wanted ever since she was little. Or did the Arcanists plan that, too? Make themselves look like heroes in all the story books so that people saw them in a good light? After all, hadn't Arcanist Lavender said that the most important thing was how people perceived them? Loyal and kind Arcanists; not people wielding the power to snuff out life.

"What does Jaune think, I wonder?" Weiss asked aloud.

It might have been more teasing had there actually been anything between her and him. As it was, Jaune looked over at his name being mentioned. He looked tired. Not emotionally drained or anything. Just tired like he'd been up all night. "Huh?"

"Ruby's new bracelet."

"Oh, that." He sighed. "It's a necessity. You can't take it off I'm afraid."

Ruby scowled. Stupid Jaune. Stupid Collegium Guard. She made sure to convey just how unimpressed she was with the most fearsome pout she could manage. It hid the very real fear deep below. Yang was fine. She had to be.

"Do you two know anything about this Rogue Arcanist?"

"Nope." Sun laughed as he said it and Jaune did too, but a little delayed. "We're just Newbloods so we get about as much warning as you. Guard the wall. Keep an eye on people. Don't let any Initiates wander out and get hurt."

"And report anyone who comes in," Jaune reminded.

"Oh yeah. I forgot that one."

"Really, Sun. Of all people who should forget…" He trailed off. "It doesn't matter. Sun has the right of it. That's all we've been told about the situation."

"Do you know when it'll be over?" Ruby asked.

"Afraid not. Likely when the W- Arcanist is found."

Ruby's eyes narrowed. "Something beginning with W?"

"There's reason to believe the Arcanist is a woman. I nearly said that. Don't tell anyone though. We don't want people here assuming it's okay to ignore the rules just because they're men; or to start acting like every woman is a possible threat."

Stupid. They all knew it was a Wildmage. Why not come out and say it? No one who was an Initiate knew what the problem with Wildmages was. Not even Cinder knew. All they could say was that Wildmages were bad, so if the Collegium just came out and _said that_ then no one would even question it. Why go this far to portray it as a Rogue Arcanist?

Blake might know, but she was no more able to reach her than Yang.

_What if I desired a spell that could send a message? Would my Wild Magic do that?_ Possibly, but it might also lead the Huntsmen straight to Yang or require magic to read or be sensed through the bracelet or nearby people. If she hadn't lost control and done this, she could have snuck out to check on Yang already.

Did she dare ask Jaune to pass a message outside?

No. Not yet.

Not unless she could think of someone to send it to, some way to convince him that was normal and a way to make sure said person didn't ask why he was delivering a letter from someone who used to live in the slums.

Ruby sighed as the bracelet clinked up and down her arm. This was ridiculous…

/-/

"I'm afraid I can't think of a solution."

Ruby groaned again. Not even _Cinder_ could think of a way out of her current predicament.

"You can't have a message delivered even assuming you could convince your friend it was innocent. You'd have to send it to someone who knew Yang, and they'd demand to know who it was from. One mention of your name and they'll reveal every little thing about you."

"I know. I'm worried, though…"

"I can tell." Cinder laid a hand atop her hair and rubbed her gently. Like a cat. Ruby pouted. "I'd say not to but I know personally how hard it can be not to worry about a sibling. I genuinely loved mine." Martin Malneux of all people. He didn't deserve Cinder. "Show me this bracelet of yours."

Ruby complied quickly and Cinder touched and fussed over it. She didn't make to remove it, which was probably a good thing.

"You realise what they are trying with this, don't you?"

"Tracking us. Controlling us."

"Good. I was worried you might have fallen for that nonsense they fed you."

"Not when I'm the person they're after. Why bother anyway? Why not just say it's a Wildmage?"

"Various reasons." Cinder let the bracelet go and poured them some drink. Fruit juice. Ruby drank eagerly, enjoying the rich and sugary flavour. "For one, they unify the school against a given threat. Not revealing what that threat is might be to reduce panic or make it seem like they have the matter under control. These _are_ children of powerful people after all."

"It's so their parents don't complain?"

"Perhaps. You said the Upper District was flooded. I think that would have them quite riled at the Collegium already. No need to enflame matters further."

"Huh." Ruby nodded. "I didn't think of that."

"Of course not," Cinder said. "You're not a noble. You've little idea how they are. That's only one possible reason though. I doubt it's the real one. There's also the aspect of control again. Tell me, if I told you a murderous beast lay outside the walls, how likely would you be to go out there?"

Not very. "They're scaring us away from the breach. Making us feel like staying in the Collegium is the safest place."

"Safe, happy and secure. Not every prison has bars on the window." Cinder looked at her own, which _did_ contain filigree bars reaching up and down outside the glass. "Trust us, they say. Believe in us. The world outside is frightening but we shall keep you safe."

"That's horrible…"

"And a third reason is that it may be a test. Or a trap."

Ruby perked up, listening intently.

"If you play into the role of a Rogue Arcanist or acknowledge it in any way, they will immediately have proof that it is someone within the Collegium who is responsible. That is whether you play along with the ruse or not. Assuming, of course, that they've given a different message outside the walls. Or to the real Arcanists. If so, they might even be able to narrow it down to a single Initiate."

That would be bad. "What should I do?"

"Not react to it. Certainly don't do anything to support the idea, even if you think it might be a better idea to be known as a Rogue Arcanist than a Wildmage. Continue as you have. Ride out the surges as you must. Let them believe you have no idea what is happening inside the walls and they may think you are still out there."

Okay. That made sense and wouldn't be too hard. It was definitely better if she drew their eyes away from the Collegium. Assuming she could. By the same metric as what Cinder said, what if by securely sealing the walls, they saw the _lack_ of any Wild Magic outside it as proof they had her trapped inside? It could be just as bad that way around.

Lock the walls. Keep them in and wait to see where the next surges occurred. If she couldn't escape, those would be inside the Collegium. Ruby quickly explained the problem to Cinder, who looked suitably worried.

"You might be onto something. You should have some time but they have longer."

"What do I do? I can't go outside with this on."

"Then take it off."

"They said they'll notice if we do!"

"They will," Cinder said, "But will they know _what_ you are doing? Make a habit of it. Become a problem. Keep getting caught without it on and in innocent situations. A bath. A dalliance with a lover. Make them tut and roll their eyes and then, once they are sure they know you're just a problematic child, sneak out. Do it enough and they may give you hours to work off your surges before investigating."

Ruby nodded. "Will that work?"

"I don't know. It's a risk. You'd be better off if you could convince a lot of people to do it. Spread the suspicion around. I'm not sure you would be able to, however. From what you've told me your influence isn't exactly… well." Cinder smiled apologetically. "Influential."

It wasn't. Maybe if Malneux tried to do something like that he could convince his cronies to take off their bracelets, but if she tried then it was hopeless. Weiss too given her status. People would go against them just for the sake of being seen to do so.

"I don't know what to do," Ruby complained.

"I know." Cinder stroked her hair sadly. "I'm sorry I can't help this time. All I can say is to keep looking. You're not unintelligent. Think. You have the advantage both of awareness and of being a Wildmage. If they are so afraid of us, find out why and make them regret ever going against you. I believe you can do it. Have faith in yourself."

There was no hiding her blush. Ruby ducked her head, mumbling, "Thanks…"

"No problem. You're always welcome here, though I'm sure it's no fun being in this place. Thank you for smuggling some books in." She tapped the two tomes hidden under her blanket. "I'll go through them and see if there's anything of value to you. You remember what I said?"

"Knowledge is power."

"Yes. Remember that, Ruby. Do not ever forget it. Go now. Your roommate will miss you if you tarry much longer."

Saying her goodbyes, Ruby hugged Cinder and left, signing out at the entrance and to the same man she'd spoken to before, then making her way hurriedly back to the dorms.

It was dark out but the moon was high, illuminating the path ahead. Torches moved along the walls, each gripped by a guard and with many more brightly lighting up the breach in the wall, leaving not a foot of shadow to hide within. They were taking no chances. Turning away from it, Ruby ducked into the dorm and came to a screeching halt in the common room entrance.

Weiss was stood there looking more than a little nervous. Beside her stood Arcanist Clover, the one who had spoken in the hall. He had a hand on Weiss' shoulder, though she didn't look pleased about it.

"Initiate Rose?" he asked. "Is that right?"

"Y-Yes." Ruby tried to smile. "That's me. Hi."

"Hello." His smile widened. "Arcanist Ironwood would like to speak with you, along with Grand Arcanist Ozpin."

He nodded at her. Not at her, she quickly realised, as two people who had been hidden on either side of the doors on the inside stepped up to flank her. The door behind her closed, trapping off her final avenue of escape.

"Why?" Ruby asked. "Can't it wait until morning?"

"I'm afraid it can't. And it's just a few simple questions. Please, follow me."

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**Uh-oh. Just as a quick reminder, if you are reading the story and don't receive an email alert, then Null **_**will**_** have been updated by the time you read this. If you're not reading it then no worries. This story will always be updated on Sundays **_**where I can**_**, but since these two storms played with our infrastructure, they had to be written at home and uploaded at work.**

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**Next Chapter: 23****rd**** February**

**P a treon . com (slash) Coeur **


	30. Chapter 30

**Troll in Reviews**

**As has been noted, there is a troll in reviews spamming guest reviews and trying to frame people by writing their name in the name slot. Just ignore it. It's not worth the effort of paying attention to and I'm only writing this message so people are aware.**

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**Cover Art:** Z-ComiX

**Chapter 30**

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Ruby's heart thumped in her chest as she was escorted through the Collegium. They flanked her on every side, making sure to walk in a diamond formation that ensured no chance of escape. Silver eyes flicked from one Arcanist to the next, seeing if any wasn't paying attention. They all were. Not a second went by where their eyes wouldn't slide back to her, shoulders tensing and hands loose at their sides, despite that in the cold evening air they could have kept them warm in their pockets.

Did she lash out? Did she attack? Nervously, she licked her lips, hoping they couldn't feel the bubbling sensation of her wild magic rising. She was sure she could take one Arcanist by surprise, but how would she fare against five at once?

And the Guards were watching from the walls. A lot of people were.

The only reason she didn't try her luck was because they weren't taking her toward the Sanctum. Their route was toward where she'd met the Grand Arcanist before. _I'll still be able to use magic there. _

Instincts from the slums kicked in. When the guards caught you – and it always happened sooner or later – it wasn't always the best idea to take the first chance of escape. That was sometimes the trap, and their retribution was often worse than what they'd have doled out the first time. Sometimes it was best to take the beating, or at least wait until they let their guards down. Right now, they were watching her. Ruby swallowed her fear and kept her head low.

The Grand Arcanist's office was much like she remembered it, but there wasn't much effort on her part to take it in. The man himself stood behind his desk, flanked both by the Arcanist, Goodwitch, and by the new one, Ironwood, who had come with these people. Those two were standing while the Grand Arcanist remained seated.

Opposite him sat a single chair. Ruby was led to and pushed down into it, with the one called Clover standing beside her and the other four Arcanists who had arrested her falling back to the edge of the room. A full surround.

"Miss Rose." The Grand Arcanist spoke. "Do you know why you are here?"

Ruby didn't have to fake the high-pitched and frightened tone. "No…"

"We lost all trace of your bracelet," Arcanist Ironwood interrupted. "It _vanished_ from our readings. Since we only covered why you should keep that on earlier today, I'd like an explanation. More than that, even had you removed it we would have been able to sense where it was. Yours vanished entirely." He slammed his hands down on the Grand Arcanist's deck and leaned forward. "I would like to hear an explanation for that."

The Grand Arcanist frowned. "James. Do not make assumptions so quickly…"

"The questions stands, Initiate. Where have you been?"

Was it a test? A trap? There wasn't time to come up with a proper story that would make sense, so she went with the truth. "I was in the Sanctum."

Ironwood frowned. "The Sanctum?" His eyes narrowed. "The truth, Initiate!"

"I-I'm telling the truth!"

"No Arcanist would willingly visit a Sanctum. No Initiate would even know where to find it."

"James," Ozpin warned.

"I hope you realise the weight of what you've done, Initiate. If you used some ability to mask the trace placed on you, you've endangered everyone in the Collegium. If you eluded it in some other way, things might be worse."

"I already told you, I was in the Sanctum!"

"Miss Rose knows of the Sanctum," Ozpin said before James could speak. The words had Ironwood's head spinning to his. "She served a detention there for an incident earlier in the term; for sneaking out to meet with a Newblood."

The flush of colour that rushed up her cheeks probably did a good job selling that, even if she was more upset everyone believed that. Her pulse was still racing but she forced herself to sit still. They didn't know. They had suspicions, but they didn't know for sure yet.

"I volunteered to help there," she said. "They said it was okay."

"Who is _they_, Miss Rose?"

"The guards who work there." She wracked her memory. "Nicholas."

"Well, this is a matter easily verified," the Grand Arcanist said. "Miss Harriet, please summon Nicholas Arc from the Sanctum and have him come verify the young lady's story. James, until he is here, how about we drop this line of questioning, hm?"

Ironwood watched her imperiously. His eyes burned into her. "Very well. I would still ask what would tempt an Initiate to visit a place such as that. There isn't an Arcanist among us who doesn't find the sensation… unsettling."

Ruby swallowed. She couldn't mention Cinder. "I felt sorry for them…"

His eyes narrowed. "Why?"

"Why? Why not? They're in a horrible place. I don't know." Ruby looked to Ozpin, easily pegging him as her only chance of getting out of here. Everyone else was way too eager to call her guilty. "You made me go there, sir. I spent a week there. I got used to it…"

"You got _used_ to a field that nullifies all magic? I doubt that."

"James," Ozpin warned again. "I have told you once and will say it again. Miss Rose is innocent until proven otherwise. I _did_ send her to serve in the Sanctum and assist the guards there. If that is indeed where she has been, then it would make sense for your protections to falter."

"There's the other matter," Ironwood said. "We've had reports of her acting oddly. Wild behaviour."

"What?" Ruby yelped.

"Miss Rose. Please do not shout."

"From fellow students and-"

"From who?" she said, voice still raised but no longer shouting. Her face was red. "Was it Malneux? He hates me. The others hate me and Weiss. They say she's not a real noble because her dad was a merchant and I'm some barbarian from Menagerie."

"Mr Malneux and Miss Rose _have_ a history," Ozpin confirmed. "I do believe he challenged her to a duel."

Ironwood's frown grew even deeper. Ruby had a suspicion it really had been Martyn to try and throw her to the wolves. "And how did that go?"

"It didn't go," she said. "He cheated and tried to have a Crimson Arcanist beat me up. I was about to give up when a friend of mine stepped in and fought for me." Just to drive it home, she asked, "How am I meant to beat a Crimson Arcanist? I didn't even know any real spells then."

"And this friend of yours?"

"Jaune…"

"Ah." Ozpin smiled knowingly. "That would explain it."

Was he thinking she and Jaune were together again? How the hell did the _Grand Arcanist_ know about her supposed love life? Wasn't that a little beneath his notice? Such questions went unanswered as the door opened, the dark-skinned Arcanist returning with a tall and willowy Sanctum Guard with white hair and tired eyes.

"Mr Nicholas!"

He looked toward her. "Do I know you?"

Ruby's stomach dropped out.

"No. Wait." He frowned. "Ruby, isn't it? We spoke a few nights ago." He rubbed his forehead, hardly even noticing her melting into her seat while grasping her heart. "My memory isn't what is used to be. I brought this, however." He held up a book.

"Yes!" Ruby pointed eagerly, eyes wide. "I have to sign in. I have to be counted coming and going!"

Arcanist Ironwood looked defeated even before the book was laid down before Ozpin. He knew from her excitement what he'd find, as did everyone else there by the looks of them. The Sanctum couldn't let random people come and go. Everyone had to be logged by a guard at the main desk. That took place when she entered and left, and she was even given a purple sash to denote herself as working _for_ the Sanctum when she was there.

It didn't take long for Ozpin to point down at the page and say, "And there we have it. Miss Rose was logged down entering the Sanctum two and a half hours ago and leaving not fifteen minutes before being picked up at her dorm." He flicked back a few pages. "And she has been a common, if not regular, visitor for the last month."

Closing the book, Ozpin handed it back to Nicholas, who sent her a worn but friendly smile, bobbing his head to her before letting himself out and returning to the Sanctum. Really, she could have kissed him. Ruby's smile split her face in two and only grew as Arcanist Ironwood's scowl did.

"I believe that explains the little discrepancy here. Wouldn't you say, James? Miss Rose went to volunteer at the Sanctum as she has been for the past few weeks, not realising it would play havoc with the protections you gifted to the students. We did not think to warn of them since we assumed, incorrectly, that no Initiate would be going near the Sanctum and it's anti-magic field."

"There's still the evidence from other students…"

"Flawed evidence, as you well know. Miss Rose's teachers have spoken well enough of her. It only seems to be a small group of her peers that consider her dangerous, and aside from this duel, there haven't been any injuries, malicious pranks or even misfired spells. Not a single bruise, cut or burn to speak of. Where, then, is this danger they seem so keen on mentioning?"

Ironwood's teeth ground together. Turning, he spat out, "Clover."

"Yes, sir?"

"I want the one who reported her in my office tomorrow morning. I'll be questioning him further. If he wasted my time…"

"I'll see it done, sir."

_I hope it was Malneux. Basterds._ _Even if they're right, I've not done anything that should clue them off. And if they really thought I was a Wildmage, they wouldn't dare earn my anger like that. _They were just trying to get her in trouble or kicked out.

"Well she can't return to the Sanctum," Ironwood said. "We need the traces accurate."

Ruby's head shot up. "What!?"

"Please understand," Ozpin said, far kindlier, "that it's for your own protection. While I disagree with James' _tone_ there." He fixed Ironwood with another warning look. "I don't think he's wrong to say it. While we continue looking for the one targeting students, we can't afford to forever be wondering if you have been kidnapped or worse."

Except there _wasn't_ anyone kidnapping students and she knew it. Knew it but couldn't say it. They were taking the Sanctum away from her. Taking Cinder away. They had _no idea_ they were doing it, but they were ripping away her biggest ally in the Collegium. Both Cinder and her would be alone again, robbed of the one person they could both speak to without having to hide things.

"I… but…" Ruby scowled under their expectant gazes. How could she refuse? How could she without sounding suspicious? Ruby's hands bunched into fists. "O-Okay…"

"Thank you for understanding."

"C-Can I go one last time? Just to tell the people there. Some of them will wonder what's going on if I don't show up and I tell them about the world outside." Piteously, she looked to Ozpin, the only one of which she held any hope might be swayed. "Please…?"

"Absolutely not," Ironwood said.

"I will allow it for a short hour," Ozpin countered, staring the Arcanist down. "However, I'll be asking a member of James' team to accompany you. That way he won't need to worry about anything untoward happening."

Not ideal, but at least she could talk to Cinder. She didn't want her to worry. It wouldn't do, but they'd have to make it.

"Okay. I just want to say goodbye."

"Now, Miss Rose, it's not goodbye. Once this matter is dealt with, I'm sure Nicholas and the other Sanctum Guards would be happy to have you back. Your sympathy for those locked within is unique among Arcanists."

"Suspiciously so," Ironwood said. "They're criminals."

"They didn't do anything to me," Ruby pointed out.

"Criminals of Vale."

"And Miss Rose is not _of_ Vale," Ozpin said. "So even should she meet someone famed as a villain here, she would not understand it. I understand your frustration, James, but if you cannot reign it in before an Initiate, I _will_ ask you to leave. Miss Rose has explained herself and has provided proof of where she has been. This is all just a big misunderstanding."

"Ahem." Beside her, Clover coughed. "If that's the case, why don't we let her go back to her dorm and not waste her time here, Grand Arcanist? If I remember anything from my own time as an Initiate, it's that the rumours only grow the longer you're absent. Keep her any longer and people are going to think she's overthrown us."

Ruby nodded quickly.

Ozpin saw it and chuckled. "You have a point. Thank you for coming, Miss Rose. If I may, I might like to speak with you tomorrow – worry not, it's only to clear up this unfortunate encounter and explain ourselves. Would that be acceptable?"

"Um. Yes. Sure."

"Wonderful. Mr Clover, can you escort her back? Seeing you might allay any unfounded concerns her classmates have." He paused to look at Ironwood. "Unless you have any more questions for her, James? Though I can't imagine what those might be…"

"None." The crimson and white Arcanist closed his eyes. "Do not remove the bracelet," he told her. "It's for your own protection."

Ruby nodded and was escorted out by Clover, who kept a hand on her upper back as he led her out the office and away. Once the door was closed, she heard loud voices inside, but he steered her away from it before she could make anything out.

"I'd like to apologise on behalf of Arcanist Ironwood," Clover said. "Please understand that he's not normally so antagonistic. He was worried you had been taken."

Ruby sent him a sideways look. "He was accusing me."

"It's a part of that worry. We thought we'd lost you, then to find you alive and well and with no injuries? You must admit it would have looked strange to us. Concern can turn to anger once the person you're worried about is safe. He was only trying to make sure you understand how serious this is."

"So I won't remove the bracelet?"

Clover nodded.

"But I didn't in the first place."

"That's why I'm apologising – and why Ironwood was in the wrong this time. I'm sorry for any stress we caused you."

/-/

There were at least twenty people in the common room when they returned. Weiss, she could expect, and Coco made sense as well, but the others – Martyn included – were just there to witness this. To see what they hoped would be another punishment, or even expulsion, for her. Assuming Initiates could even be expelled.

Weiss looked haggard and afraid. Ruby had the suspicion she'd been bullied by the others.

"So many worried for the young lady," Clover said. It wasn't hard to hear his sarcasm. "I'll tell you all that she's in no trouble. There was a small problem with her bracelet that caused her signature to flicker around the Collegium. It wouldn't normally be an issue, but we've handed out hundreds of them today, so a few mistakes are to be expected." He gave her a gentle push. "It's fixed now, so there aren't any problems."

No one could call him out on that and most of them looked bored with the answer. Ruby took the chance for what it was, snatching Weiss' arm and going upstairs with her. Weiss didn't resist and quickly power-walked beside her, the two slamming into their room at the same time.

Ruby wasted no time filling her in.

"Suspicious!?" Weiss growled. "There was nothing suspicious at all! And how dare he accuse you! You should complain."

"I think it's best I let it pass."

"Then at least complain against Malneux."

"We can't be sure he was the one spreading the rumours."

"Oh, come on, Ruby, we both know he is. Probably humiliated about being tossed in the river and then needing Jaune to save him." Weiss scoffed. "Since Jaune and you spend so much time together, everyone knows you're involved so it's like _you_ saved Malneux. He probably doesn't like that."

"Arcanist Ironwood said he'd speak to the one responsible."

"Good. I hope he puts the fear in them. We should watch Martyn," she said vindictively. "If he's summoned to speak with the Arcanists, we can draw attention to it just like he did with you. Throw it back in his face and see how he likes it."

That sounded nice. He wouldn't even be able to complain since they weren't doing anything to him. "I can't. The Grand Arcanist wants to speak with me tomorrow. He said it was just to apologise and explain things."

"Probably to avoid reprisals from families. It wouldn't be a problem with yours obviously, but if they falsely accused the daughter of a powerful noble, that would have repercussions. He's going to try and make you understand why they did it."

Averting blame, then. It wasn't necessary for her so why…? Oh. He didn't want to face accusations of favouritism toward students who still _had_ powerful parents. Instead of picking which to talk to and which not, he was just going to do it for them all. That was the fairest option on his part, even if it meant wasting both their time.

"You can still watch Malneux," Ruby suggested. "Even if I'm gone."

"Believe me, I intend to. I was terrified!" Weiss wrapped her arms around her suddenly, pulling Ruby close. "I thought – I don't know what I thought! He kept saying you'd be thrown in the Sanctum or even executed!"

"Martyn?"

"Hm." Weiss nodded. "I'm glad you're okay."

"Me too," she said, patting Weiss' back. "Me too."

_You've crossed a line, Martyn. I thought we'd agreed to leave one another alone but apparently not._ Maybe it was time to make a clear example of why you didn't mess with a Dredger.

/-/

The summons to meet the Grand Arcanist came before midday and from someone she didn't recognise. He was of the Emerald and brought her back to the building she'd visited the night before. The same office. Grand Arcanist Ozpin sat inside with a spread of food out upon a table set a small distance from his desk. The soft and tender pork and turkey set next to heaps of steamed vegetables had Ruby drooling. She didn't hear the door close behind her or the Emerald Arcanist leave.

"I hope you don't mind us eating together," Ozpin said. "I thought that by calling you for lunch, we could enjoy a meal."

If this was part of his apology it worked well. Ruby hurried over and sat down, eyes feasting. The knife and fork were already in her hand before Ozpin had so much as taken his own seat. Chuckling, he poured both some cordial from a jug.

"The appetites of the younger years are ever amazing. Please, indulge yourself. I'm a light eater nowadays."

He didn't need to tell her twice. Ruby dove in, dragging huge cuts of meat onto her plate and smothering them in rich gravy. Where Weiss liked to carefully mix three or four things on her fork and take delicate bites, Ruby ate one thing at a time. She wasn't sure where the habit came from, but it let her savour each piece individually. Salted ham. Crispy turkey skin. Fatty beef.

She was two plates down before she realised that might be considered rude in front of the most powerful man in the Collegium, and by that point it was too late.

"The journey from Menagerie must have been hard on you," he said, refraining from point out her less than stellar manners. "I expect you did not have much to eat along the way."

"Mmm. No. Mm." Swallowing, she tried to slow herself down. "Roots and berries."

"It's remarkable you made it here alive at all. A testament to your resilience. Or your determination. I hope you've found the Collegium here to be to your liking."

This was to be the focus of their conversation? Asking how she was settling in? Well, it was better than her arrest last night. "It's good. I like the food and the people here aren't bad. Not _all_ of them anyway."

"I'm sure I know what you mean on the latter. Rest assured that those casting spurious rumours about you will be punished. James is not one to appreciate his time being wasted; certainly not on childish spats."

"Good. Malneux deserves it."

"Now, Miss Rose, you know I can neither confirm nor deny that suspicion." He chuckled and leaned forward. "Tell me, though. What were your thoughts on James?"

"He was okay."

"You need not pick your words carefully here. I won't tell him."

Well, if he wanted honesty. "He was a prick."

Ozpin's eyebrows rose.

"A-Ah. I mean, he was rather rude and wouldn't listen to me. He latched onto an idea and wouldn't let it go even when I had proof. And he had his people take me right out the dorms. Anyone could have seen."

"Hmm. Not subtle of him at all. I shall have words. I'll leave out the rather interest moniker you've given him." He watched her blush. "I suppose a little rough language is to be expected given what you've been through. Noble blood is hardly a help when travelling across the wilderness. Did you stop at many villages along the way?"

"A few."

"How were the people there?"

"They were okay." Ruby thought to the farmers outside. "They were mostly focused on their own stuff. Crops, animals and things. They'd let me stay in a barn and give me some food but only if I shovelled sh- manure. I didn't have much choice. It was that or starve."

Ozpin ignored her near slip. "No one can fault you doing what you had to for survival, Miss Rose. There are many who would have let pride dictate their actions, and to a sorrowful end. I think a little harsh language and some poor manners is a small price to pay for your life."

"Yeah. I'm learning them back. Weiss is helping me."

"Your roommate, I take it? You mentioned her last night. Something about her not being so respected."

Ruby wondered if Weiss would appreciate her telling the story. This was the Grand Arcanist. He'd be able to find out if she didn't and Weiss' story wasn't much of a secret if every student knew. "Her dad was a merchant who married into nobility. The others don't like that."

"A story as old as time itself I'm afraid. Look back far enough and everyone married into the nobility at some point. Do you know how nobility first began, Miss Rose?" She shook her head. "It began, quite simply, as someone deciding they `owned` a piece of land. That person then built a farm and created food. Suddenly, a lot of other people who were hungry heard about it and came asking if they could have some of that food as well. It gave the person power."

"_Come work on my farm and I will give you a share of my food_, the first noble said, and soon after he didn't need to work himself because others were willing to do it for him. With the sudden profit made from all the leftover food that could be sold, the noble then created homes for his serfs. _You can all live here,_ he might have said, _So long as you keep working on my fields and give me a small amount of the money you make as a tax._ And the people agreed."

"From there, the community would have grown. The noble would see that wolves harming his people lessens his profit, so he builds walls. The farmers are told to pay him more because he now protects them as well. Perhaps a few were unhappy about that, so the noble then hired guards to keep them in line. The noble created laws dictating what the farmers could and couldn't do, and the guards enforced them. You can see how this goes on. The numbers grow and grow until the farm is many times its size, forming a village, and more and more people come to work for a share of the food and wealth, with the nobles behind it all taking taxes off the top."

"In the end," Ozpin said, "Nobility was only ever decided by virtue of who had the food. Who claimed it first, and by arbitrary distinction decided their word was law. Since then, everyone who comes after has done little more than be born of that line. Most nobles now don't even take care of protecting people or their land. It's left to the royal family to do that. And to us."

"That's… um…"

"What do you think of the tale?" he asked. "Do you think it fair?"

"M-Maybe? That first person _did_ give them food and shelter. I think _they_ maybe deserved the taxes, but everyone since is just freeloading off that, aren't they?"

Chuckling, the old man agreed. "I think so as well. There are those who hold responsibility and fulfil a duty, but all too many who think nobility a title to be granted and not one to be earned. It's a failing more common in children. Adults tend to be mature enough to see the world differently. Or those who have been through such that would make them an adult." He nodded to her then, and Ruby averted her eyes. "Would you be comfortable if I asked you a little about Menagerie?"

Uh-oh. That could be bad. "S-Sure."

"Thank you. We know little about why it fell, and I thought you might be willing to shed a little light on that. Do you recall the moment?"

"I didn't see everything…"

"Whatever you can tell me would be appreciated."

"Grimm." The answer came quickly, and thanks to Blake. "It was Grimm that brought Menagerie down."

"I see. That is unfortunate to hear. Grimm are normally much more docile than to attack a city."

Docile? Was he talking about the same thing she'd seen in the Azure Archives? That thing had been insane – not to mention the stories of people in the outskirts being torn asunder. If Blake was right, Menagerie had been slaughtered by them. Docile wasn't a word she'd use. Blake's words came back to her.

"S-Someone said it might have been someone on the inside letting it happen."

Ozpin's eyes flickered to hers. "Someone said that? Who is this someone?"

Crap.

"An Arcanist," she deflected. "Someone who helped me escape."

"And what happened to this Arcanist?"

Ruby shrugged.

"What was their name?"

Again, she shrugged.

"You don't know? You never once asked?"

"They were secretive." Ruby shrank back as he stiffened before her. "The only thing I remember was them having a grey gem. Dark grey."

"Shadow…?" With a heavy sigh, the Grand Arcanist sat back. "Of course. That would explain things. They are a secretive group at the best of times, though whatever I think about them they were at least loyal to their Collegium. Did they escort you to Vale?"

Ruby shook her head. "We parted soon after leaving. They told me to come here."

"Hm. I wonder where it is they went. Hopefully to another Collegium. It wouldn't do to have…" He trailed off and then chuckled. "But never mind that. It's not something an Initiate such as yourself need worry about. Nor the Grimm. Rest assured that we are taking the protection of the Collegium and the city seriously."

Ruby noticed the hesitation. "Would it be bad if they didn't?"

"It could be." Ozpin linked his fingers on the table before him and leaned back, watching her with a not-unkind smile. Patient and lecturing. It didn't look like he suspected her just yet; more like he was indulging ger curiosity. "Laws are made not out of the suspicion everyone will break them but for the small number who do. Sadly, that means we must hold everyone to them lest society collapse. Whether or not your saviour is of good heart or ill, they should still sign themselves to a Collegium."

His smile grew. "And they might have. I only know the workings of our own. It's perfectly possible they travelled to Mistral or Vacuo after leaving Menagerie. Either Collegium would be closer than Vale."

"Yeah. Maybe." Why _had_ Blake come all the way to Vale? Why _not_ to somewhere closer? "Do the other Collegiums have Shadow Arcana? Maybe they went there."

"A fair idea but alas, the Shadow are unique to – or were unique to – Menagerie. That's not to say they didn't have family or friends at another Collegium. Travel is rare, but not prohibited. It speaks well of you that you came here and registered with us, and again, I must apologise for how James treated you."

That didn't feel right. Why wasn't Ironwood apologising?

"It wasn't your fault, sir."

"It's kind of you to say that but as the Grand Arcanist all here are under my protection, yourself included. Therefore it was my responsibility to step in." Which he had, she wanted to say but didn't. Ruby accepted the apology with a quick nod instead. "I must also say that James' confusion as to the Sanctum wasn't unwarranted. Many feel anxious and frightful at the sensation of their magic being taken from them. Do you not feel that?"

"I do," she admitted. "I just ignored it."

"You just… ignored it…?"

"Sure. It's not like I always had magic."

"Ha Ha." The old man laughed into his fist. "You're right, of course. Such simple wisdom. I suppose that when you're as old as James and I are, you forget that fact. I've been studying for decades and it has taken time to earn four gemstones."

Ruby's eyes were drawn to them again. Crimson. Azure. White. Black. He was the _only_ person in Vale even _allowed_ to study all four. There wasn't anyone even allowed to take three. Why? Was it just the position? Why did it make a difference?

"Why…?" Ozpin asked.

Oh crud. Had she said that out loud.

"Ask your question," he said kindly. "I won't bite."

"Why…" Ruby quickly thought one up. "Why did you choose those four?"

Ozpin's smile grew. "Ah. You're selecting your own soon, no doubt. I see the Azure mantle for now. A rare but respectable choice." The Grand Arcanist reached up and unclipped his Arcanum, holding it for her to take.

No one had ever done that before, but he nodded his approval and she took it, letting her thumbs brush over the stones. They were pretty and cool to the touch. The Arcanum itself was different to hers since it was the Vale one.

"I began with White," Ozpin said. "From there, I naturally found my passion and selected the Crimson because it fit well with my responsibilities. Azure was my third, chosen when I became Grand Arcanist and, I shall be honest, solely because I thought myself unsuited for the position."

Ruby glanced up. "Unsuited?"

"Red and White are quite combat focused Arcana. I foresaw that I wouldn't be able to _blast_ my way out of parent-teacher meetings." His smile became lopsided. "The Azure are knowledgeable and many previous Grand Arcanists wore that colour. I decided to join the Archives and read of them, to explore the knowledge sealed within."

"As for the Black," he finished. "I grew old and lost much of the mobility and athleticism I once had. I decided to create tools to aid me." He hefted his cane, and though she could see nothing unusual about it, it tingled to her senses. Plus, since he'd just said he made it in the Black Arcana, it had to be special in some way. "As you can see, there was no great reason I chose the paths I did, and that is something you should remember."

"That the colour of your Arcana does not dictate your worth as a person. It is what you achieve in this life that determines how you will be remembered, not what you were born as." Winking, the Grand Arcanist added. "Something for your noble peers to keep in mind, no?"

Ruby sniggered. "I'll be sure to tell them."

"Tell young Miss Schnee as well. She should not feel the quality of her blood matters any. Perhaps to children it does, but once she is a powerful Arcanist, people will judge her on her merits, even if that's only because they want her to help them."

"Thank you." Ruby was surprised to find she meant it. "For the food and… and for helping me last night with those people."

"Miss Rose, I did nothing more than seek the truth. If you are looking to enter the Azure, that is something _you_ will be doing as well. Should you wish to speak again, you're free to come and do so. The position of Grand Arcanist is not as closed off as one might think. I have time to talk to students who wish it."

Funnily enough, she thought she might take him up on that. Pushing back from the table, she bowed as Weiss had taught her and thanked him for the meal. On her way out the tower, she saw Malneux stomping away, escorted out by Arcanist Clover. Clover saw her and winked, steering the arrogant twat away with one hand.

Weiss had been right.

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**Ozpin helps Ruby out a tough spot but seems interested in her for some reason. Meanwhile, The Ace-Ops (and they really need a better name in this fic) take their place in life in the Collegium. **

**Just a brief reminder here of troll reviews and to ignore them.**

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**Next Chapter: 1****st**** March**

**P a treon . com (slash) Coeur **


	31. Chapter 31

**Troll in Reviews**

**As has been noted, there is a troll in reviews spamming guest reviews and trying to frame people by writing their name in the name slot. Just ignore it. It's not worth the effort of paying attention to and I'm only writing this message so people are aware. They're also trying to fake reviews in my name, but you can ignore it. I don't review anything.**

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**Cover Art:** Z-ComiX

**Chapter 31**

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It was late at night and Ruby crouched low before a dormitory door, checking up and down the hallway. Most of the illumination came through the tall windows at the end of the corridor, along with several dimly burning candles dotted up and down it. The hour was somewhere between two and three, a point in time commonly known in the slums as `business hours`.

Plenty of people stayed up late, either for their own protection, because of work or just out of habit. Midnight _sounded_ late, but you could still find people wandering around in various states of sobriety. So, too, was it the case in the Collegium, except for the concept of alcohol. While uncommon, it wasn't unusual to find some people studying late or finding time to indulge in clandestine and very out-of-marriage-agreement relationships.

This late, though? The dormitory was dead, and even the late study groups had long since given up and gone to bed. Waiting just a few seconds longer to make sure no one came around or was moving inside the room, Ruby brought out her tools and got to work.

The Collegium made a big deal of how secure their dorms were. Early on, Coco made it clear they were enchanted to resist both magical spells and physical force, so nobody needed to be concerned for their safety. They didn't open or close based on magic, though. If that happened and the students within it were hurt, no one would be able to get in to help them. At the end of the day, the doors relied on the age-old method of a lock and key.

Ruby wasn't exactly a skilled lockpick, but everyone learned how to do a little in the slums, and it was one of the things Junior tried to teach her before realising her natural athleticism suited a messenger more. As such, while a complicated lock might thwart her, the ones on the dorms proved little difficulty.

She'd know, since she'd practiced on her own all day.

A little wire taken from the school supplies, a long nail from a table and plenty of patience. Ruby stuck her tongue out and listened for the clicks as she worked, keeping an even pressure with the nail, the end bent inward by pushing it against a brick wall, so that the lock would turn once she had all the pins done.

It took a while. Any real thief would have had it open quicker. For her, it was a couple of fails and resets, a few impatient sighs and starting over again before she felt the lock turn. Instantly ceasing the pressure, she pressed her ear to the door and listened.

Quiet breathing came from the other side.

As quietly as could be, she inched the door open and slid inside, propping a rock she'd brought along into the frame so it wouldn't close behind her. Crouched low, hood up and lower face covered with a kitchen towel, she inspected the two dark beds and the dimly lit curtains beyond them.

Martyn Malneux slept on the left.

Justifiable punishment was something Ruby was intimately familiar with. It was a cornerstone of civilisation in the slums. If someone broke a promise to you, you were fair to punish them for it provided you had the strength. There were limits, though. No one wanted to push things to breaking point and drag the guards down, earning beatings or arrest for everyone. If you tried, others in the slums would stop you.

Measured responses were the name of the game. If someone stole from you, you broke their hand. If someone cheated you, you robbed them blind. If someone killed your friend or family member, then you could look at returning the favour, but only if you kept it quiet. Only if it didn't blow into something bigger.

It would have been easy to kill Malneux.

That, however, would fly out of control. The Collegium would be up in arms, Ironwood and his Arcanists would be swarming the building. The Guards would close off every gate. The whole dormitory would be turned upside down, and even if they didn't find any evidence to incriminate her, they'd all be watched that much more closely.

Murder wasn't the solution, not that she'd have considered it. Malneux was a prick, but the world was full of those and you couldn't go around killing each one. The punishment had to fit the crime, and while Malneux might well have doomed her life had she been found out to be a Wildmage, he didn't know that. To him, it was all to humiliate her.

That was fine. Heck. Had it worked, she'd have been impressed and let it go. What did embarrassment mean to her? But no, he'd nearly gotten her _lynched_ and that, he had to pay for. Watching his sleeping form, Ruby reached into a small bag under her cloak.

The night's work was swift and silent. Not ten minutes later, Ruby crept out of their room and closed the door, retreating to her own and crawling into bed with none the wiser.

/-/

Weiss knew something was up come morning. For one, Ruby was digging her heels in when the food hall was open. That alone was evidence enough because Ruby _never_ missed breakfast. But even beyond that, the Newbloods were meant to be out training again for the first time this morning and she wasn't interested.

"You did something," Weiss said.

"I don't know what you mean."

"I've never known you to not want food."

"Are you saying I'm greedy?"

"Yes!"

Ruby didn't protest but she didn't look at Weiss either. Those silver eyes were subtly trying to keep an eye on the common room of the dorms for some reason. Weiss only noticed because she was watching her roommate.

"You can tell me, you realise. I'm not going to turn on you."

Ruby shot her a pleased smile, but also a vicious one. Not a second later, before she'd had any time to process that statement, a high-pitched _scream_ echoed through the dorms. While everyone else turned with shock toward the building, Weiss glanced at Ruby and saw her smile widen. It sent a chill down her spine. Under her breath, she hissed, "What did you do!?"

"Better you don't know. Easier to claim innocence that way."

The front entrance slammed open and an almost unrecognisable figure burst forth, tripping and tumbling down the steps onto the damp graven pathway. It landed on all fours and looked up, and only then did she realise who it was.

"Is that Martyn…?" someone asked.

Their confusion was understandable. Martyn was always stood upright with dark black hair and a commanding posture. On all fours and panicking, he cut a different figure, but that wasn't the only thing that made Weiss' mouth fall open.

Half his hair was missing. Gone. Some of it was still there, but it had been cut so short to his head that she could see his scalp through it. Only half, roughly in a line down the centre. The other side was still there, but was now a sickening shade of burnt orange, as though someone had tried to dye it orange but found his natural shade too impossible and left it a sticky orange-brown instead.

Seeing them all there, watching, Martyn screamed again and lunged to his feet, tearing off in the direction of the Emerald Arcana building.

"W-Why didn't he just stay in his room?" Weiss had to ask.

"Maybe he's afraid whatever is in his hair will make the rest fall out."

That was too specific to be an accident, even ignoring everything else. Weiss watched her friend with absolute horror. Where everyone else was nervously laughing or whispering among themselves, Ruby looked _viciously_ satisfied. Like a feline that had caught a bird and taken immense delight in disembowelling it.

"Ruby. You can't… That's too much. You've humiliated him!"

"Who said it was me?"

"You, I… Don't start this now!" Weiss dragged her away from anyone else and kept her voice low. "I know I suggested getting back at him, but I expected some verbal sparring or calling him out. This – This is the kind of thing that could get you in real trouble!"

"Why? He's fine."

"He could be poisoned!"

"He's not." Ruby rolled her eyes. "And it washes out."

"And the hair he's now missing!?" she hissed.

"Grows back."

Ruby didn't get it. Weiss felt like she was smacking her head into a brick wall. She knew her roommate could be dense at times, but didn't she realise how far this went? House wars had been started over less. Childish pranks were one thing, but she'd gone too far.

"He'll be calling for your head! His whole family will!"

"How could I have possibly gotten into their rooms, Weiss? The doors are enchanted to prevent entry."

That was true and had that been the only evidence she would have sided with Ruby's innocence, but the way she was acting practically screamed guilt. How, though? That was the question. And quite obviously, it was what Ruby intended to rely on to dissuade any punishment. If that was the case, then maybe Ruby was right – it was better she not know how this happened.

"Just be careful. He tried to embarrass you, and while this is on the same scale it's too extreme. It's not like he endangered your life."

Ruby scowled and didn't answer. "Maybe. Let's go get some food."

/-/

Coco cornered them at breakfast, but by then Ruby had mastered her gambling face and met her firm stare with a surprised smile. "Martyn?" she asked, voice dripping with simple curiosity. Weiss was fiercely focusing on her own meal, trying to avoid attention.

"You have to have heard what happened this morning, squirt. I won't believe otherwise."

"I heard the scream, sure, but Weiss and I were outside at the time."

Plenty of people could attest to that, and Coco probably already knew. As the Warden of the dorms, it was her job to root out the cause of this, or so Ruby assumed. While she liked the older Initiate, she wasn't afraid to make her job a little harder.

"Wait, is Martyn blaming _me_ for this!?"

"Martyn hasn't been able to do anything other than cry and babble," Coco replied. "Why? Do you think he should be blaming you? That was an awfully quick response there."

"You must have been told what happened last night," Ruby rebutted. Coco sighed, all but confirming it. "Martyn tried to blame me for the flipping river diverting and the wall collapsing. Me! I got dragged up before the Grand Arcanist thanks to him."

"You're still here."

"Of course I am. They figured out I was innocent, but if he'd blame me for knocking down the wall, it wouldn't surprise me if he tried for this as well. Aren't the doors protected against entry? How would I even get in there? Were his keys stolen?"

Coco touched her chin. "I didn't ask. I'll have to check with his roommate."

"It's kind of their own fault if they lost their keys," she said, earning a stern look from Coco. "But if they still have them-" Which she knew they did. "-then I don't know what could have got in. I mean, you told us the doors are just about impenetrable."

"The Wardens have emergency keys."

They did? That was news to her. It showed on her face too, which must have allayed some suspicion.

"Yatsu and I have both have our sets, though," Coco continued. "None are missing, so it didn't come from our end. They must have misplaced theirs."

"What if they didn't?" Ruby asked.

"Well… I mean, what else could it be?" Coco was sold on the idea now, and why not? How would a young noble girl be able to break into a room so heavily protected without being seen, waking anyone up or leaving any evidence? "If the keys are all accounted for, we're looking at someone able to break through high-level Black Arcana enchantments."

"Or it didn't happen in their room."

Coco's eyes fixed on her. "Hm? He had all his hair last night, or so I'm told."

"Couldn't it be a slow-acting spell, or maybe just something else? He took a dunk in the river, didn't he? Could something in there have caused a reaction? Or maybe something else he came in contact with?"

"Maybe…" Coco rubbed her chin.

Weiss kept staring down, now with her shoulders hunched and an almost desperate `please don't ask me` look on her. Talk about having no ability to keep a straight face. Ruby leaned in toward Coco to keep her attention.

"Sounds scary. You don't think it could be this Rogue Arcanist, do you?"

"I doubt that. I mean, why come in and do that? The only one who has any beef with Malneux is you, Rose. No offence."

"He has beef with me. I don't even care about him."

"Targeting Malneux would be a good way to implicate Ruby," Weiss said stiffly.

Coco nodded. "That's true. Alright, I'll pass that on and go check his keys. Try not to get yourselves in any trouble, okay? Bad enough something like this happened right under my nose, but at the same time as the wall going down? Goodwitch isn't just breathing down my neck, she's almost squatting on my shoulder."

"We'll help if we can. Though I'm not sure we'd be any use…"

"Ha. Probably not. Thanks for offering, but you can leave it to us. If the keys are accounted for, we're either looking at a bad reaction like you said or someone way above the level of an Initiate. Sorry for accusing you."

"S'okay. It's your job to check, right?"

"Yep." Coco stood and rubbed Ruby's hair. "Thanks for understanding, squirt. See you around."

Ruby wasted no time watching her leave and dug into breakfast, spooning runny egg onto her toast and biting down. The rich butter had only just begun to melt, making her moan and shiver in delight. The sentiment wasn't shared by Weiss, whose cutlery clattered down as she slumped in abject relief. Seriously, if they'd been talking to the guards Weiss would have given them away in an instant.

"Do you see why this is such a big deal?" she asked, voice a whisper.

"Nope."

"You – Are you an idiot!?"

"I'm an idiot who isn't going to get caught."

"Malneux will know – or he'll target you out of spite either way. This isn't going to go away, Ruby."

It would if he knew what was best for him. This was a warning, nothing more. If he believed she was responsible, then he had to know she could reach him at any time, any hour, and that he'd never see her coming. What could remove and coat his hair could also slit his throat, and _he_ didn't know she wouldn't go that far.

"If he's got any brains, this'll be the last of it."

Weiss sighed and muttered under her breath, "That's what I'm worried about…"

/-/

The Specialist from Atlas that came to escort her to the Sanctum turned out to be the faunus, a dark-skinned man with a boyish and surprisingly friendly smile. He introduced himself as Marrow, even going so far as to shake her hand and apologise for the night before. Ruby was surprised to find she liked him immediately, even considering it a technique on his part but realising he was just that type of person.

It didn't mean it wasn't intentional – if Ironwood and his team were going to work with a school, it made sense they'd bring someone along who was good at talking to people – but it was a relief to have Marrow over Ironwood himself. In the Slums, he'd have made a good shifter. The kind of person who could convince you to buy your own liver or shift stolen goods from a fence to someone in a district above without questions being asked.

As a self-proclaimed Crimson Arcanist, he came a little short. He seemed too nice for it all.

_Might be part of the trick,_ she thought, walking beside him through the Collegium in the early evening. Get the Wildmage's guard down by acting sympathetic, then strike when the time was right. It didn't matter, obviously, because she wasn't a Wildmage. She was just a student. At least from his perspective.

"So, you just volunteered to work at the Sanctum?"

"Yep." Was he fishing for answers? Information? Had he been put up to it?

"To work with criminals?"

"Does that sound weird? People work there already…"

"Admittedly, but those are Sanctum Guards. Arcanists don't work there."

That was something she'd noticed easily enough. They'd be useless without magic. It still surprised her how afraid of the place most of them were. Out of anyone, she had the most reason to be frightened by what it represented, yet the anti-magic field, if that was its name, didn't bother her much. While it was awkward to realise it was in place and not have something she'd started to grow used to, it wasn't a painful or unpleasant feeling. It didn't feel of much at all.

"I don't see the problem," she said, for once fully honest. "I mean, it's just like being a person without magic. What's the big deal?"

"I guess…" Marrow scratched his arm.

"Wait. Are _you_ afraid of it?"

"I'm not afraid." He said it quickly, hunching up his shoulders and ripping his hand away from his arm. His whole posture screamed defensive, and she realised why a moment later. Having an _Initiate_ suggest that of a full-fledged Arcanist had to be insulting. "I just don't like it," he said, long before she could decide if an apology was necessary. "Makes me feel naked."

"Doesn't that mean you've felt it before?"

"I've put a Rogue Arcanist in our Sanctum," Marrow said reluctantly. "Had to go in then…"

"Are you meant to tell me that? I'm just an Initiate."

"An Initiate who knows what the Sanctum is and how it works." He shrugged, then smiled. A little nervous, but friendly despite it. "It's not like I'd go around saying that to every student I come across, but there's not much point when you've seen what it's like in there."

"It's not bad. It's comfortable."

"It's a misery. When you spend most of your life having magic, to suddenly be without…" He stuffed his hands into his robe. "Forget I said anything. It's not something you need to worry about anyway, or I'll hope you don't. Maybe I'm just not as used to it as you are. You're one brave girl to work there."

They reached the hedgerow walls of the Sanctum and Ruby was surprised that he let her take the lead. It made sense a few seconds later; he was from Atlas, so he'd never been here. She led him through the gate and past the rose beds, watching him shiver and rub his arms as he crossed the boundary.

There was no line to mark it. No warning. And it seemed to shift, too. Sometimes she could get as close as the building itself before feeling her magic fade away. Other times, like now, it was halfway between the gates and the entrance. The reason why it moved never became apparent and it was always there sooner or later.

Marrow looked like he'd been dunked in ice. His eyes darted about wildly.

"You could stay outside…"

He flinched. "Ah? What? No. I'm supposed to go in with you…"

"Does it matter if you don't? You're just here so everyone knows when my bracelet goes dark, I'm safe and sound, right?"

He nodded. "Yes."

"But if a bad Arcanist is after me, inside the Sanctum would be the safest place ever." He knew as well as she that it wasn't an Arcanist they were after, but they also knew a Wildmage would be just as neutered. Marrow nodded again. "And this is the only way in and out of the Sanctum. You could wait here, or a few steps back, outside the boundary, and collect me after."

He realised what she was offering. If it was Ironwood, she was sure he'd have seen it as suspicious. Maybe Marrow's desperation made him more eager to embrace the easy out. "T-That's not a bad idea," he said, cringing at his own hesitation but desperate to get out the field. "You won't take long, right? If you're missing an hour, I'm coming in to get you."

"I won't be long. I need to sign in and get my sash to show I'm not a prisoner, but I won't be long after. You can always wave to one of the guards and ask them to find me if you're worried. They know the Sanctum best. You'd just get lost."

"True." Marrow shivered and instantly hurried back, his ability to withstand it gone. Once he was across the line, the life returned to him. He rubbed his arms and gasped for air like he'd just gotten out of the river in the middle of winter. "Y-You can go head!" he called to her. "Just _please_ don't take long…"

"I won't!" she called back, turning toward the building.

Her smile grew. Perfect. Even if she hadn't planned it, that worked out better than she could have ever hoped. Ruby hurried inside and found Nicholas behind the desk again. He appeared to recognise her for a change and offered a tired wave, signing her down and handing over the purple sash. Ruby thanked him and hurried in, up the staircase and toward Cinder's room.

How to talk to her with an Arcanist following had been on her mind all day. The only thing she'd been able to think of was speaking to everyone and hoping Cinder picked up the clue that she was being kept out. Now with Marrow afraid to come in, she had the perfect excuse.

But not long.

"Cinder, we need to talk!" Ruby blurted out. If some of the other incarcerated Arcanists thought her panic odd, they ignored it. They almost all avoided her, likely linking her to the people who locked them away. Though she wouldn't risk it, she thought they'd refuse to tell even if they knew what she was. They all wanted the Collegium to suffer.

"Is something the matter?"

"Your room," Ruby begged. "Talk. Quick. I don't have much time."

Her haste must have made it clear something was wrong. Cinder stood and put her book down, ushering them back to her quarters and closing the door. There, Ruby let it all out, explaining what went wrong and how she'd be kept out the Sanctum. Through it all, Cinder's face remained rigidly neutral. Ruby didn't dare think it genuine.

"I'm sorry!" she whined. "If I hadn't lost control we wouldn't _be_ here."

"No." Cinder stopped her with one hand, eyes closed. "You cannot afford to think that way. This Ironwood and his… Specialists. They have been brought here to hunt you down, and I dare say they would have been summoned regardless of whether you acted against the Collegium or remained hidden. They hunt us, Ruby. They will not rest until we are all of us locked away or dead."

"What do I do?"

"You do what you must, and I _do_ mean that. No limits. No second guessing. You do whatever you must in order to preserve your freedom. That chance was stolen from me, but you have it before you. Grasp it."

"That's too vague. How am I mean to deal with these Specialists? I can't get out the Collegium with the bracelet on. What happens when the surges come?"

"Again, I can't help you there. I was incarcerated as a child."

Ruby gritted her teeth in frustration and tried not to snap. It wasn't Cinder's fault and she'd done nothing but help. What else was she supposed to say? Of course it was up to her to sort this out. If there was a way around it, she had to be the one to find it.

"O-Okay. I get it. But I won't be able to come back while they're here."

"I realise." Cinder smiled sadly. "I will miss you. It's been… I'm not sure how to say it. I've been ignored and isolated for over a decade, with even the other Arcanists here fearing me for what I am. To have someone, anyone, to whom I can speak, means more than you can imagine."

"Will you be okay?" Ruby asked weakly.

"I have existed here for years. I will survive longer, though I won't be happy. There's not much you can do about that, Ruby. Try to get rid of them and you can return. It might be in your best interest to do so anyway."

"To what?" she asked quietly. "Kill them!?"

"If you must."

"That's nuts! I can't kill someone!"

"Then they will kill you," Cinder said. "This isn't a disagreement that can be solved with words, Ruby. They have killed our kind before and obviously intend to do the same here. No matter how kind they may look, you're going to have to come to terms with the fact they are enemies sooner or later."

"T-There must be another way…"

Cinder shrugged. "Perhaps there is. I'm hardly the one to identify it, being locked in here. Find what method you can but remember – there will be no second chances. No trial. No chance for you to defend yourself. They threw me in here as a child and left me to rot. They would feel no guilt doing the same again to you."

Standing, Cinder wrapped her hands around Ruby's head, drawing her in for a hug. Despite her fear, Ruby returned it, holding onto Cinder's warmth. Tears prickled at her eyes. In the absence of Yang, Cinder had become the only person she could rely on. Now the Collegium was taking that away as well, just like they had her sister. How much more would they take from her? She didn't even know if Yang was still alive.

"Stay strong, Ruby. You are a Wildmage. More than any hate, they _fear_ you. Remember that. While they cling to strength in numbers, order and rules, you are beyond all. You shattered the walls of the Collegium in a fit of anger. Imagine what you could truly do should you wish it. You are only imprisoned here should you allow it."

"I'll remember."

"Good." Cinder's hand stroked her hair. "Go. Any longer and I shall miss you too much. I will hold out hope for your return, and that it be as a guest and not a prisoner."

"I won't let them," Ruby promised. "No matter what, I won't let them take me."

Cinder's smile was all the approval she required.

/-/

Marrow was jumpy when she made her way back outside, and she had the feeling he was readying himself to go in and find her. His relief on seeing he wouldn't have to was palpable. Shoulders drooping as a huge breath escaped him, he waited for her to come to him rather than step closer to the Sanctum.

"All done?" he asked, smiling gingerly. "Are we good to go?"

"Yeah. I'm done…"

"Good." He turned and drew her out, only regaining his colour once the metal gate was closed and they were in the Collegium proper. He rubbed his cheeks, bringing some colour back. "That place is a mess. Just looking at it gives me the shivers."

"It's not so bad on the inside."

"I'll take your word on that, since there's no way I'm willingly going in."

"Hey. Mr Marrow?"

"Just call me Marrow. I'm not one for all that Lord Arcanist stuff."

"Marrow, then. You're part of the Crimson, right?"

"Crimson and White. We all are in the Specialists."

"That means you hunt people down and put them in the Sanctum, doesn't it?"

He appeared uncomfortable with the distinction. "Yeah. I guess…"

"What kind of people?"

"Bad ones. Rogue Arcanists – the kind of people who'd use their power for ill. They're all of them criminals. That's obvious, right? The Collegium takes in anyone and trains them, so it's only the people that abuse their power who end up in a Sanctum."

"What if those people were young?"

"It depends, I guess. Most young people make mistakes but they're not malicious. Sometimes, anyway. I guess you'd have to do something bad to end up in there as a kid. I mean, I got into fights when I was younger, and we didn't always follow the rules on solving that. Worst we ended up with was extra lessons and chores. Why you asking?"

"Someone in there says she was taken in when she was a child."

Marrow stiffened. When she felt him looking at her, she kept her eyes ahead, trying not to sound too interested. He knew what it meant. He didn't know Cinder since he was new to Vale, but he had to know what the exception was.

"Ah. Well." He scratched his head. "Sometimes there are extenuating circumstances. Those are exceptions, though. I wouldn't worry about them. Not everyone is in the Sanctum for the same kind of thing."

"Even children?"

"Power doesn't discriminate on age, gender or anything else. If you have the power to hurt people, you need to exercise the responsibility required for it. That's one of the biggest things the Collegium will teach you. Not _how_ to use your power but _when_ to use it." He looked back ahead, hands in his pockets. "Those in the Sanctum are perfect examples of people who either couldn't handle that." His expression darkened. "Or those who didn't want to or thought themselves above it."

And in the middle of all that, a young girl who just happened to be a Wildmage like her.

He was vague on it. Like everyone else she ever tried to get answers from. It felt like every single person in the Collegium either didn't want to tell her what made a Wildmage so feared or didn't know. The only lead she had was the Azure Archives.

"Let's stop talking about that." Ruby saw him sigh happily. "How soon can someone join an Arcana? Is there an age requirement or a certain amount of time you have to study?"

"Ha. That's more like it. And no, there isn't. There's a time requirement on graduating as an Arcanist, but you can officially join an Arcana as soon as you pass their entrance examinations, since joining one doesn't bring you any closer to earning a gemstone. That normally takes time to master the spells required, though."

"What are the examinations like?"

"I wouldn't be able to say for you." He nodded to her blue mantle. "For the Crimson, it's a test of combat skill. I imagine for the Emerald it's a test of healing. Azure? Well, knowledge, I'd assume. You'd be better off asking someone in it, if they'll tell you." He cracked a smile. "Some Arcana can be mysterious about it because they don't want people having an advantage. I only told you the Crimson because we're about as subtle as a battle-axe."

"Is there a consequence for failing?"

"You're not barred from ever joining if that's what you mean. Everyone must join an Arcana eventually, so the Collegium would be pretty messed up if it was one try per person. You fail, go back to lessons and probably get stuck with a time limit before you can try again. I passed on my first try, so I wouldn't know. You thinking of trying early?"

"Maybe." There wasn't time to delay, was there? If she wanted to burn off her next surge without being caught, she needed a solution now, not later. "It's not weird for someone to try, is it? Not something seen as wrong or strange?"

"Course not. Hell, there's always a few who try in their first six months. Either prodigies, those that study ahead or the arrogant. Most fail. Some succeed. I've heard the Black and Emerald have the highest failure rates, probably because the spell work is a lot more delicate. Azure… again, I don't know I'm afraid." Marrow slapped her shoulder suddenly, grinning wide. "Don't let that stop you, though. If you think you can, give it a go. What's the worst that can happen?"

A catastrophic surge that might destroy the Azure Archives, kill hundreds and draw the Specialists and Grand Arcanist down on her before she could blink. _But if I ignore it, that surge is going to come sooner or later anyway. _

Cinder wanted her ready to kill and run. Ruby wasn't sure she could take that step, but if they dangled never seeing Yang again on the other line… She wasn't sure how far she'd go. If there was even a chance in the Archives, she had to take it. Those rooms of theirs were designed for strange experiments, too. Maybe surges could be disguised as that. That couldn't be any more eccentric than a Grimm running down a corridor, could it?

Instead of trying harder to escape, maybe the best option was to dig deeper.

* * *

**Technically speaking, anyone in an Arcana is still a student until they master it – with Ren being the first example given of that. He's still an Initiate like Ruby and Weiss, even if he's older than her and has been at the Collegium longer. **

**The idea is that there's no strict time limit on an education there. If it takes you twenty years, it takes you twenty years. If it takes four, it takes four. Once you're good enough to start learning in an Arcana, you're in. Though naturally they wouldn't tell you all their secrets until you earned a gemstone and became a real Arcanist.**

* * *

**Next Chapter: 8****th**** March **

**P a treon . com (slash) Coeur **


	32. Chapter 32

**Troll in Reviews**

**As has been noted, there is a troll in reviews spamming guest reviews and trying to frame people by writing their name in the name slot. Just ignore it. It's not worth the effort of paying attention to and I'm only writing this message so people are aware. They're also trying to fake reviews in my name, but you can ignore it. I don't review anything.**

* * *

**Cover Art:** Z-ComiX

**Chapter 32**

* * *

Ren offered her a seat in his private testing chambers and pushed several new sheets of paper out the way. Scorch marks on the floor hinted at some new experiment, but the room itself was still small and sparsely decorated. The Initiate himself looked as calm as ever, laying out a saucer with a cup of lemon-flavoured tea on it.

Ruby drank it to be polite, even if it was too bitter for her tastes.

"So, you want to take the Azure Trials this early?"

"Is that what they're called?" Ruby leaned forward. "Can you tell me what I have to do?"

"I guess that answers _that_ question," Ren said with a soft laugh. "I'm afraid I can't. There are rules against it, though nothing against a little advice. The Trials are not something one can get through with only the basics. You're going to need certain spells. Or viable alternatives to them."

"I know a few spells."

"A few might not be enough."

She knew what he was doing and would have appreciated it any other time, but time was the one thing she didn't have. There would be no waiting two or three months until she was more experienced. This was now or never.

"I'm still doing it. How do I sign up?"

"There's no convincing you, is there?" He sighed. "Very well. The trials are something that can be volunteered for, but there is a pre-test of sorts. Nothing difficult, only it's there to weed out those wasting the Arcanists' time. Complete that and you can request to be put through the trials."

"And the pre-test is?"

Ren smiled apologetically. "It's finding how to reach the trials."

Ruby stared at him, waiting for further instruction. The look on his face said that not only would there not be, but that he'd fully expected her reaction. "That's it!?" she cried. "The pre-trial is to _find_ the trial, but I'm not going to be given any hints as to what that is, where or how I'm meant to find it!?"

"I'm afraid so."

"That's… That's stupid!"

"It's fitting, if you think about it. We _are_ the Arcana of Secrets."

Maybe it was fitting but that didn't make it any less annoying. Ruby glared into her tea, frustration rising. What was it that it was now of all times she had to be without Cinder's advice? _No. I need to do this on my own. I can figure this out._

"Can you tell me anything that might help?"

"I can't give you any help other than to tell you about it in the first place. The rest is up to you."

"Gah. Is there a time limit?"

"No. You can take as long as you wish. Days, weeks or even months. You're not technically in the trials until you find out what they are, so you can take as long as you need to. The _real trials_ will begin afterwards, and those will be harder still."

Harder than finding something out of nothing with no hints to go on? Ren might as well have told her to look for a single strand of hay in a haystack giving her no instructions past `it's a meaningful strand of hay`. And weeks? Months? Did it really take people that long?

_Maybe I'd be better off joining a different Arcana. I don't have months…_

No. The Azure Archives were her best bet. They dealt in secrets and right now she had a bunch she needed answers to. "Fine. I'll do it." Downing her tea, she set the cup down. "Just you wait. I'll be in the Azure Archives before the week is out."

"Really? That's ambitious." He chuckled. "In that case, I'll look forward to welcoming you."

/-/

"You're taking the trials already!?"

Weiss was predictably shocked at her sudden announcement, and quite upset as well, though Ruby couldn't figure out why on the last one. Was she angry she was being left behind? If so, that wasn't fair since they wanted to join different Arcana anyway.

"I can't take the trials until I figure out what they are, so no, I'm not…"

"Are you allowed to tell me that? I'm not Azure Arcana…"

"Ren told me and I'm not either." Yet. "It's probably fine."

Weiss played with her fingers oddly. "Why are you so insistent on joining this soon?"

"Hm? Why not be? Don't you want to learn lots of cool new spells and stuff?" It was the cover she'd decided on and one she was sure no one could argue against. True to form, Weiss couldn't shake her head.

"I guess…"

"It won't change anything. Ren says that even when you join, you're still not an Arcanist, so you stay in the dorms. The only thing that'll change is what colour robes we wear."

"And our classes," Weiss mumbled. "We won't share the same ones anymore…"

That was true, and a reason for Weiss to be upset. None of the other nobles would interact with her as freely as she could. Ruby grimaced, but there was nothing she could do. This would've happened eventually sooner or later.

"We'll still share some, and it's not like being away from one another means we stop being friends."

"I-I guess so." Weiss shook her head and forced a smile. "So, what leads do you have on this trial you're looking for? I may as well help. It could be useful for getting into the White."

"Or you could join the Azure with me…"

"What leads do you have?" Weiss repeated, dodging the suggestion.

"None. I have nothing. How can I? It's not like people are walking around talking about it." Groaning, she fell back onto her bed, hands gripping the pillow and kneading it angrily. "I thought about finding someone else doing the same, maybe spying on them or just asking them what they've found, but I can't tell who is and who isn't. I can't just talk to everyone wearing a blue mantle."

Ruby didn't bother to admit she'd already done that, asking upward of fifteen people if they knew anything about the trials and getting a range of answers. Some had no idea what she was talking about, suggesting they hadn't started. The one that had freely admitted he'd not found anything yet and was in much the same situation as her.

Worse, he'd been searching for _two months_!

"I'll admit, it sounds like a doomed task. As expected of the Collegium – nothing is going to be easy here. Hm. It must be a riddle."

Ruby's head perked up. "What makes you say that?"

"It's the only thing I can think of. The task really is impossible. How can you track something down when you're not even told what it is? There must be a trick to it, otherwise they might as well tell you to locate one specific person in the city but not give you a name, description or even a gender. It's impossible. That would also explain why no one can give you any hints – because doing so would invalidate the whole thing."

A trick, huh? It sounded just reasonable enough to make sense but that didn't help much. Just knowing there was a trick ironically widened the net even further. Now instead of just looking for information on the trials, she had to figure out the gimmick. It could be anything.

"Back to square one…"

"I'm afraid so." Weiss smiled indulgently. "What will you do? You're not the type to back down just because something is difficult."

"I'm going to spy on people."

"What!?"

"The Azure Archives is open to anyone to go in and out of," she explained, "So I'm going to spy on them and see what they get up to. Maybe I can witness something useful." Or better yet, something she could use as blackmail. Not something she'd admit to Weiss, but every Azure Arcanist had been an Initiate at some point.

Discovering secrets worked in different ways, didn't it? It wasn't like they could argue if she worked the answer out of someone instead of finding it herself. Not Ren, obviously, but maybe that Merlot guy. He'd let a Grimm loose in the halls after all. No wait, wasn't that with the Grand Arcanist's blessing? Damn it.

Hm. The Grand Arcanist had said she could visit him if she wished. Maybe he could help.

No. He had an Azure Gem, which meant he knew about the trials, so if she went to him for help, he'd know that just like everyone else, he wasn't meant to tell her anything. And if there was one person she wasn't going to be able to force into helping her, it was him.

It really was hopeless.

_It can't be. Ren managed it, so I can as well. Think, Ruby. Think._

"The answer will be in the Azure Archives either way," she mumbled. "I'll have to search there."

"That seems likely. I suppose that means you'll be occupied after lessons?"

"Ah." Ruby winced. "Y-Yeah…"

"It's fine. Just… spare a little time for me, won't you?"

"Of course." Ruby tossed a pillow at her roommate, earning an indignant squawk but, to her immense pleasure, the pillow returned with incredible haste, slapping into her face. "Did you just throw a pillow at me?"

Weiss froze, aware of just how `common` such an action might be. "N-No. A noble would never-"

"Pillow fight!"

/-/

Sit down. Read. Stand. Leave. Sit down. Read.

The Arcanists that came into the Azure Archives followed that routine without pause, except for the rare few who travelled to distant chambers inside for their experiments. There was no stalking them without being seen. As it was, she didn't have to put to use all her experience in thievery to spy on the Arcanists. They read brazenly, picking books down without a care in the world to the non-Azure Initiate nearby.

And why would they care? The books were impossible for her to read.

The one open before her, used to make it look like she wasn't spying on people, featured nothing but blank pages over and over. She flitted through them uselessly, running her fingers over the pages as though to feel something. Anything.

Oddly enough, the book itself didn't feel magical. They'd learned to detect and sense magic and this felt normal. Was it the bookshelves that cast the magic on the books? If so, would sneaking one out reveal its secrets? Idly, she leaned back and ran a hand down the smooth wooden shelf.

It was cool and lacquered to the touch, but perfectly normal.

The one thing that wasn't invisible was the spine. She could read the titles of the books, just not the contents. The one she had out was titled, `On Vale: Laws of the last century` and sounded about as boring as it could be. Apparently, they didn't just keep secrets of magic here, but also books looking out onto Vale and probably the rest of Remnant as well.

_It's no use if I can't read it. All the books here are useless._

Or were they?

If there was one thing she'd learned from two and a half days of lurking, it was that the library was everything. Arcanists came and went, but they almost always spent the majority of their time in the library itself, going through thick tomes over and over. Even the ones working on their own experiments would stop to come out, search for a book and then read on one of the tables. Rarely would one be taken away back to chamber, but it did happen. The archive itself was the main prize of the Azure Archives, containing all the secret knowledge for their use.

Even if _she_ couldn't read it, other people could. There wasn't much hope convincing Ren to read a book out to her, and probably no one else would either, but the contents of them had to contain something.

_I wonder if they'd have the answer to the trials._

Probably. There wasn't much point keeping it a secret _after_ you'd already passed, was there? And since only Azure Arcana members could read the books, there was no need to be cagey about it. Giving up on the boring Arcanist she'd been watching, Ruby snuck back into the deep aisles between bookshelves, losing herself in the tight crevasses and hallways.

Something about the Azure. Or the Archive. The books weren't kept in order of the alphabet, but `topics`. She'd figured out that much while wandering around so much. Stuff about Vale was kept in one section, magic in another and so on. The sections were huge, each comprising of several giant bookcases several times taller than her.

Ruby hesitated in one aisle, but quickly spotted a youngish woman down the way. Older than her, but clearly a full fledged Arcanist given the full blue robes and the Arcanum proudly pinned to her chest.

"Excuse me, Lady Arcanist?"

"Hm?" The woman closed the book she'd been browsing and glanced down. Ruby didn't recognise her, but that was perhaps a good sign. It meant the woman wouldn't recognise her either. "Hello there, Initiate. Was there something you required?"

"I need to find a certain book. It's about the Azure Archives and its history."

The woman smiled indulgently, but also a little patronising. "May I ask why? You would not be capable of reading it, young one."

"Doctor Merlot asked me to fetch it," she lied. "I mean Arcanist…"

"No. No. That eccentric man _does_ prefer doctor, doesn't he?" She chuckled. "And fancy roping an Initiate into doing favours for him. What did he promise you, girl? Spells? Expertise? A little training?"

Ruby didn't know how to answer.

"I suppose it's no business of mine. The sections on the various Arcana are on the second floor." She pointed up toward the balcony that ringed the outer edge of the Archives. "It's the largest section, given that it's our own Arcana, we naturally have more information on it than any other. I can't detail exactly what book you should be looking for, but it would be there."

"Thank you, Lady Arcanist!" Ruby bowed eagerly and waited for an answering nod before scurrying away. Most of the books were on the shelves in the centre, and she hadn't actually been up on the balcony yet. There'd never been any reason to. Luckily, it didn't appear to be restricted and she was allowed up the stairs without being challenged by the Arcanists coming down.

Again, no reason keeping her from anywhere when she couldn't read the empty books.

Stepping up onto the upper floor, she skipped out the way of a distracted Arcanist and walked along the small tables and chairs. Given the smaller space of the balcony over the ground floor, the chairs and tables were all single seaters now, study desks set against a marble balustrade, keeping an open pathway by the shelves themselves, which were now set into the wall. Bronze or golden plaques detailed the various sections, and just as she'd been told the section marked simply as `Azure` was by far the largest.

The Azure Archive, Scions of the Azure, On the Founding of the Azure, Notable Arcanists of the Azure Vol II, Notable Arcanists of the Azure Vol III. The books went on and on, some having absolutely ridiculous titles such as `The Azure Archives: A look back on the last 500 years and what has been leaned`. Most were shorter. Ruby's finger hovered over one simply titled `The Archives` but she moved on. The Archives came with being a member, so it probably wouldn't have the answer.

`Secrets of the Azure`.

Ruby stared at the book's spine. The font was in gold and etched into the leathery material. It was dappled like tiny scales and a rich blue in colour.

_Secrets could mean anything. The whole Azure Arcana is called the Arcana of Secrets. This could just be spells or a map. The word `secret` means more to the Azure than it does to everyone else._ In that regard, a book titled the secrets of the azure might not necessarily contain deep, dark and intriguing information that would help her figure out how to get into it.

But it might.

"Desperate times," she whispered, pulling the spine down and sliding the book out. It was thick and heavy, weighty in an almost satisfying manner. No one made to stop her as she carried it to the nearest desk, drew the seat out and sat down.

Her hopes of opening it up to words and sentences died a quick death. The pages were blank.

_Guh. It's useless._ Her fingers ran over the pages again, detecting no magic. Turning the book over, she felt the spine and cover, and again came back with no lingering traces that should have shown up. The book felt as mundane as ever, as did the shelves.

Was it the Archives itself that kept them secret? If the Sanctum could make it so people couldn't use magic, then the Archives might do the same. _Which means if I somehow get the book outside, it might be readable!_ The same way someone in the Sanctum was only cut off while they were inside it. _It's worth a shot, but how can I sneak something this big out?_

There could be ways of the archives sensing it. Sneaking out the doors was all well and good, but she had no excuses if she was caught and that Ironwood guy was already suspicious. Ruby looked about for inspiration, eyes quickly singling on a tall and open window, the thin curtains moving in the faint breeze.

Slowly, she stood and made her way over.

It wasn't overly warm inside. In fact, it was bitterly cold out thanks to the recent rains that still had the Collegium waterlogged. Still, someone had left it open and there was nothing to say she couldn't find a nice, relaxing spot to read. Stealing another random book off a shelf, Ruby propped herself up on a chair by the window, resting the book on the stone ledge and pretending to read.

Arcanists walked on by, some debating to one another and others lost in an open book. Even then, the pages were blank to her eyes. Ruby waited for a moment where few were coming and gave the book a gentle push.

"Oops," she said, in case anyone had seen her. "Oh no!"

The book tumbled away and fell, landing in a bush with a soft sound. As heavy as it was, it punched about a foot deep into the branches before coming to a stop. Ruby looked around, waiting for someone to accuse her.

No one reacted. And the Archives didn't set off some warning system.

Even so, she gave it half an hour, pulling out her new book and pretending to read that instead to keep anyone walking by from seeing something strange. As thirty minutes passed and no one came to collect the book down below, she stepped away from the window and to a desk, giving it another thirty just to be safe.

Patience wasn't her strong suit, but fear of being caught lend her some aid. When a full hour had passed, she stood and put her second book back on the shelf, then excused herself to walk down the stairs and out the library, back into the large open hallway with the fireplace and its chairs. She passed Ren en route and gave him a friendly nod that he returned along with a quick greeting.

No one stopped her leaving. No one reacted to her skirting around the side of the building. No one paused to wonder why an Initiate was elbow deep in a thorny bush, rummaging within the branches, or why she hid whatever she had claimed from it under her robes.

Ruby strolled away, prize in hand.

/-/

Empty.

Empty. Empty. Empty. Ruby swore under her breath as she flicked through hundreds of blank pages, silver eyes wide as she glared down at the stupid thing. All that effort, all that panic, and for what, a book of blank pages?

"Horse piss!"

"Do you mind?" Weiss asked indignantly, looking up from her own book. "I don't need the mental image."

"Everyone pees, Weiss. Even horses. Especially horses."

"Even so, it's vulgar."

Stupid Weiss. Stupid horses. Stupid Azure Arcana.

Stupid her, apparently, who couldn't figure out what the stupid thing was all about. Everyone else who joined seemingly had, including Ren. What was she missing? Where was she even meant to start? Ren said she might need spells, but what kind of spells?

Illusions?

Ruby checked Weiss to make sure she was distracted and then stared down at the book. Nervously, she willed a small amount of power to the fore and mentally commanded, _Remove any illusions from this book._

"Did you just cast something?" Weiss asked.

"Just trying something," Ruby answered dutifully. Weiss could tell _something_ happened, but not what. "Practicing."

"Nothing destructive, I hope."

"No, Weiss." She rolled her eyes. "I'm not going to blow our room up. Besides, I'd practice anything like that on someone, wouldn't I? Probably Martyn."

"Not if you want to avoid another trip to the Grand Arcanist…"

Ruby ignored her and Weiss went back to reading. It was just chatter. The spell had worked. Maybe. She assumed it had, since something happened, and the book hadn't burst into flame. Whatever the case, her wild magic hadn't made it any less a blank book.

Gah. This was so annoying!

Okay. It wasn't an illusion making the pages blank. It also couldn't be the Azure Archives acting like the Sanctum as she'd first thought, because now the book was far away and still blank. It also wasn't the book because it was inert, and not the shelves both because they had no magic and because the book was now far away from them.

Was it written in some different ink? Ruby held the book up with a page out, inspecting it with the light from a candle shining behind. The paper took a yellowish tint and the candle was visible through it, but there were no markings.

On a whim, she pulled out an ink pot and a glass quill from their desk, dipping one into the other and bringing the quill out wet. Gently, she dabbed on one corner and left a little black dot. Eyes narrowing, she scraped a straight line and then a circle.

The ink followed, pooled and then slowly began to dry on the page. Dabbing it away with her sleeve removed most but left a fair smudge where she'd vandalised a potentially priceless magical book.

Except that didn't make sense. The school's lesson books were all enchanted so that they remained in good condition. They could drop it in water, pour ink over it or throw up on them if they really wanted to and the pages would all stay clean. Why would books for Initiates to learn from be better protected than books from the flipping Azure Archives!?

Sure, no one could read them outside the Azure, but that didn't mean those people couldn't damage them!

Angrily, Ruby took a corner and pulled. The paper came away with a loud _rip_.

"What are you doing!?" Weiss demanded. "Please tell me you didn't just tear a book to pieces?"

"No?" The lie was unconvincing. "Look, it's just a blank thing. It's not a real book." Ruby showed the pages off over her shoulder and heard Weiss relax. "I was just pulling some paper out."

"Right. A notebook."

In a way that was what it was like. Empty pages and nothing to speak of. Ruby let it thump down and then thought better of it. If she was caught with this in hand, she'd be in real trouble. "I have to go back to the Archives."

"This late?"

"I forgot something. I'll be back in a bit."

"Okay…"

Taking the book, Ruby pulled on her cloak and went back out into the hallway then down and outside. She'd be in trouble if the vandalism was noticed but so long as no one caught her with it, that'd be fine. It was only a corner removed, and the one she'd doodled on. Checking the weather and pleased to find it no longer raining, she hopped out onto the wet grass and started on her way back to the Azure Archives.

Halfway there, she spotted a familiar figure making his way back from the direction of the Sanctum. He looked tired and worn, skin pale.

"Jaune?"

He froze, tensed up and then saw her. She was relieved to see him relax and smile her way, waving and then trudging his way over. His heavy boots sloshed in the mud the grass was quickly becoming. "Evening, Ruby. You're out late."

"I forgot something in the Archives."

"The Azure? Ah right. You're planning to go there, aren't you? That's good."

Was it? Ruby wondered what that meant. "Were you in the Sanctum?"

"Hm. Not the Inner Sanctu-" Jaune cut off quickly, shaking his head. "Sorry. I was just standing guard tonight and helping feed some of the prisoners. I'm just out of it since we also did a load of normal guard stuff earlier. My days have been getting busier ever since the wall fell."

"Because of the Rogue Arcanist?"

"The what now?" he asked, genuinely confused.

"Ironwood said it was a Rogue Arcanist abducting and targeting nobles…"

The confusion on Jaune's face told her he knew the truth just as much as she did. It didn't mean anything, however, since she couldn't admit it without giving away herself and Jaune had to treat her like an Initiate and play dumb. "Ah. Right." He smiled awkwardly. "That. Yeah, it's because of that. I'm just standing guard, but it's still tiring to do that all day and all night."

"You should get some rest. You look tired."

"I feel tired." He grinned sorely. "But don't worry, I've been granted tomorrow off for rest. Speaking of, would you care to share dinner? Sun is busy and I'd appreciate the company."

"Sure. Can I invite Weiss?"

"Ah." Jaune winced for some reason. "S-Sure. If you wish to."

"Is there a reason Weiss shouldn't come…?"

"No. No. I just… never mind. I'm fine with her if she is with me. I'd just thought we could…" He stopped again, shaking his head and then spying the lump at her side. "Is that a book? I never took you for an avid reader."

Why was he changing the subject?

"It's a test from the Azure Archives," she said, lying only a little. "I'm supposed to figure out how the magic on the book works." She held it out to him. "Here. Try reading it. It's all just blank pages to me. The writing is hidden by magic."

Jaune held both hands up and stepped back. "I really don't think I should touch it if it's a test…"

"Eh, what's the harm. It's all blank anyway." Ruby foisted it on him.

He tried to duck back again. Not having expected it, she'd already tipped the book forward. His sudden retreat made it lurch and fall from her fingers. She tried to catch it but only managed to clip the spine with her hand and knock it forward.

It hit Jaune's legs and he caught it instinctively, clutching it in both hands and swearing under his breath. "Take it back!" he insisted, all but forcing it on her. "Quickly."

"Jaune, it's fine."

"Ruby-"

"Look!" She opened the book.

Blank pages greeted them.

Jaune froze.

"It's all empty," she said, flipping through with one hand to show him. "I don't think it even matters if the stupid thing falls in the mud. Whatever spell is on it prevents me from seeing anything. I'm about ready to burn the thing and see what happens."

"T-There is no spell…"

"I mean it's – wait, what?" She stopped and looked up at him. Jaune looked shocked, maybe even relieved. He was no longer trying to throw the thing away and instead held it mutely. "What did you just say? No spell…?"

"Ah. It's nothing." He laughed. "Here. You should take this back and not drop it next time." Far from how he'd been not ten seconds earlier, Jaune held the book out and waited for her to take it. "It sounds like an unfair test to me, but I don't know much about the Arcana. Well, not about the Azure anyway. They've always been more mysterious than the others."

"Yeah, tell me about it." Taking the book back, she held it under one arm. "I'm losing my mind."

"Well…" He looked around before continuing. "I probably shouldn't help but maybe you're looking at it the wrong way." He continued when she eagerly nodded to show she was listening. "We're always taught that you never know what you might be up against, especially if it's an Arcanist involved. We can't memorise every spell in existence, so we have to guess what's going on from what a spell does from how it affects the world around it."

"That's not always easy. Some spells can do all sorts of things at once, but Lord Winchester always says that sometimes you need to stop overthinking things and go with the most obvious answer. More often than not, it's the right one."

"The obvious answer…?" Ruby cocked her head to the side.

"Yes. That book." He nodded. "If it looks like an empty book, acts like an empty book and reads like an empty book… well…"

Ruby's eyes widened. "Maybe it's just an empty book…?"

The trick Weiss spoke of. The riddle. Ruby stared down at the stupid thing and swore loudly, surprising Jaune.

"I have to go," she hissed. "Thanks. Seriously, thanks! You're awesome! Lunch tomorrow, right?"

"Y-Yes. I'll see you at noon?"

"Yep. See you then. Thanks again, Jaune. You're the best!"

His confused laughter chased her away, but he waved until she was out of sight. Ruby's feet pounded as she ran. It seemed so obvious, so blindingly, stupidly simple. And it might not be. Jaune might be wrong, but he'd sounded so sure – so certain – that the book had no magic to it. That echoed everything she'd been able to find out so far, both through her own senses and the tests.

The Azure Archives rose up ahead. Even late in the evening it was still open and populated. Ruby sped in through the front door, dodged an Arcanist and slipped into the library before the man could shout out for her to slow down.

Ten or twenty people sat at the various tables. Arcanists came and went, but now that she thought about it – now that she _really_ thought about it – there was something wrong with that.

It was too few.

Where were all the Azure Arcanists?

They might be in their chambers doing tests like Ren and Merlot, or they might be out in the Collegium on their own business, but she wasn't sure that accounted for enough of them. And she kept running into Ren here and there but never in the library. He came and went through the hallways, sometimes passing by the front entrance but never found in the library itself reading from one of the books.

Ruby pushed her stolen one back onto a random shelf. If she was right, it didn't matter. If she was wrong, well, she didn't want to be found with it anyway. Picking a darker spot by a bookshelf, she sat down on one of the seats and watched a nearby Arcanist, an older man with greying hair and a short goatee. He had a book open on the table before him and his eyes focused down on it. Ruby watched, attention not on the pages or the book for once, but on _his_ eyes.

The Arcanist looked down on the book but his eyes didn't move. His attention didn't turn from word to word. He didn't dip his head in the reading to follow the words down the page, nor did he make to turn the page, even after a solid three minutes had elapsed.

Eventually, he did, but it was a slow and lazy motion. There was no reaction on his face. No flicker of interest, amusement or recognition. He simply turned the page and went back to staring at it. That continued for another twenty minutes, before the man stood, closed the book and carried it back to a nearby shelf, slotting it into place before leaving.

He'd read ten pages. Or twenty, assuming both sides. He hadn't left a bookmark or taken the book with him or made any effort to make a note of where he'd stopped so he could pick it up again later, and why would he?

The book was empty. All of them were. They were all empty notebooks with suggestive titles, to better act as a false lead. Or a shield. Magical books might have kept Initiates out, but members of the other Arcana were all professional Arcanists. Surely, with enough effort and the will to do so, they could break the protections on a simple book. The Black Arcana could probably do it with their eyes closed.

The books here weren't safe and the Azure knew that. So, what was the best way to keep all that knowledge hidden? Through magic? Normally yes, but not in a Collegium where _everyone_ could use it. No. You needed another protection. Something deeper.

The Azure Archives was a lie.

Or to be more specific - _this archive _was a lie.

But there was always a kernel of truth hidden in every lie. Rising from her seat, Ruby crept after the oblivious Arcanist, for once focusing not on the archives or the books, but the individuals themselves. He travelled down corridors she'd passed through before, but he ignored the chambers inside marked for the various people who wanted to do their tests. Instead, he kept going deeper and deeper, eventually reaching a large, locked door.

He paused there and Ruby darted back, hiding around the corner when he turned her way. She counted to five and peeked back around.

He was gone.

The door hadn't been opened, she was sure. It would have made a sound. Giving it another full minute before she dared move, Ruby crept down the corridor and toward the door. It was big and heavy with a huge round handle made of bronze. She reached for it, then stopped, sensing the faint trace of energy coming from it.

The Arcanist hadn't gone through the door, so why should she?

But where had he gone? It was a dead end with stone walls to her right and left. He'd either entered or come back, and he definitely hadn't walked past her on his way out. Ruby's lips pursed as she looked the door up and down as a thief would. Heavy oak. Bronze handle. Reinforced with metal.

Rusted hinges.

Very rusted. Those would make all sorts of noise when it opened, if it would open at all. Honestly, they looked like they hadn't seen use in years. _The archives were a lie, so who's to say the door isn't a lie as well?_

Or the walls.

Tentatively, Ruby reached out to her left.

Her fingers touched the wall – and then sank into it. The rough stone rippled like water under her touch, cool and shimmering. Her lips pulled back, teeth showing an excited smile as she took a deep breath and stepped into the wall. It gave way before her, washing over her body as she closed her eyes against the bright light.

An illusionary wall. One that was next to a door _seeping_ with magic for the express purpose of being so obvious that it smothered the senses, hiding the far subtler magic placed on the wall itself. Secrets hidden behind obvious means. The door would no doubt be enchanted shut, causing someone to waste their time trying to break through.

_I bet there's something that looks amazing but is useless on the other side, like another blank book with a title designed to make an intruder think they've found something incredible._

On the other side of the false wall was a short staircase set in stone with two lanterns on either wall. At the end, a much lighter door that looked well used. Ruby's heart raced as she skipped down, too afraid of an Arcanist coming up behind her to stop now. Reaching the door and touching it, she instantly felt the stirrings of magic beyond. With a deep breath to centre herself, she pushed the door open and stepped through.

Impossible.

Impossible!

Bookshelves. Rows upon rows of them, ten or more metres high, each a metre thick at best. They spanned into the distance in every direction, her position that at the top of a flight of stairs that led down ahead, to the left and to the right. It was high up, letting her see above the shelves and into the distance.

And what a distance it was. The shelves went on forever. Hundreds of metres. No. Kilometres. Miles! Ruby's eyes bulged as she took in the shelves fading into a distance unperceivable by the human eye. There was no back wall to be seen, no walls at all, only an endless ocean of bookshelves fading in every direction, travelling an unknown distance and then on and on, seemingly forever.

The floor was wood but _shone_ like not a spec of dust had ever touched it, smooth and pristine. Arcanists in blue robes walked it in their hundreds, each one a tiny insect in comparison to the gargantuan and impossible library that stretched out into eternity. The impossible dimensions of it hurt her brain. Ruby gripped her head, eyes shutting against it, trying and failing to understand.

"Impossible," she whispered. "I-Incredible…"

"It is both," a voice said behind her. "Welcome to the _true_ Azure Archives, Initiate. Or should I say, Azurite."

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**Yep. An endless library. I mean, it's a fantasy magical world so why not, right?**

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**Next Chapter: 15****th**** March**

**P a treon . com (slash) Coeur **


	33. Chapter 33

**Troll in Reviews**

**As has been noted, there is a troll in reviews spamming guest reviews and trying to frame people by writing their name in the name slot. Just ignore it. It's not worth the effort of paying attention to and I'm only writing this message so people are aware.**

**He's also pretending to be me by writing **_**my**_** name in guest review slots. I would only ever review something from this (logged-in) account.**

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**Cover Art:** Z-ComiX

**Chapter 33**

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Panic shot through Ruby. Whirling, she came face to face with an older Arcanist in heavy blue robes wearing a thick set of spectacles. "I-I can explain," she stammered.

"There is no need for it, Azurite. Your thirst brought you here, did it not? That burning fire demanding answers – the longing for questions to be answered, for curiosity to be sated and for secrets to unravel themselves before you. To stand here means you have embraced that. It means you are worthy."

"Of taking the trial…?"

The Arcanist laughed. "Young lady, finding the Azure Archives _is_ the trial."

What? Then she'd passed-? Her eyes widened along with her mouth, questions spilling forth, "B-But Ren said I had to figure out what the task was to even take it!"

"And have you not now? Did I not just tell you it?"

"Yeah, but-"

"But nothing. Knowledge is gleaned in many ways. Not all through tomes. Our Arcana is that of secrets, of knowledge, and it is our passion to hunt down those secrets. All who seek to join us are presented with the false archives, a so-called font of secret information, so that we might judge their character."

"The archives up top is the test?"

The Arcanist gestured for her to follow and slowly walked down the steps, bringing Ruby into the Archives proper. Though books and shelves continued in every direction, there was a large communal area around the portal leading in. That was broken up by numerous desks curved in concentric circles with corridors leading through connecting the four points of a compass. An outer ring was a thoroughfare by which people came and went down the aisles.

Atop the staircase, the shelves had seemed tall. Now with her feet touching the floor, they seemed to reach up like castle walls.

On the wooden desks, numerous Arcanists and Initiates read or talked animatedly over thick tomes, gesticulating wildly and taking notes. Where the false archives had at most ten or twenty people at a time, this one had well over a hundred sat at the desks and they were not quiet about it. Even then, there was room for more, room she might claim as her own.

"The false archives are a test of character," the Arcanist explained. "Such knowledge, such power, so close and yet out of reach because you cannot read it. Is it not a breeding ground for a hunger all consuming? We watch what our prospective colleagues will do when faced with such constant temptation."

"And I passed… by giving in to it…?"

Surely that should have been the other way around, that by resisting and following the rules she would be lauded. What she'd done was cheat and be caught at it! That didn't feel worthy of praise.

"This is the Azure Arcana. We do not sit idly by while knowledge is dangled out of our reach. We do not wait for it to be revealed to us. We seek. We claim. We research. If one cannot find the means or drive to unravel the secrets of the Azure Archive, then are you truly suited for the Azure?"

"Even if that means breaking the rules?"

"The methods matter not to us, only the drive." He stopped by a cabinet and opened it up, drawing out a long blue robe. "Here. This shall be yours now. You are an Azurite, forever bound to the Arcana. Even should you claim another gem, you must keep the secrets of the Archive. Those who cannot muster the effort or the will to seek it do not deserve access."

The material was finer than the initiate robes, softer and richer with fine patterns traced in silver on the edges of the sleeves and the hem. Rather than change with so many people around, she pulled it on over her initiate robes, then felt it tighten around her. "Um?"

"It is self-fitting. Fret not, it is simply shaping itself to your body."

That explained the tightening and she watched in awe as the hem that had trailed on the floor grew shorter and shorter, eventually reaching her ankles and stopping there.

"That is not special to us," the man said. "All Arcana have robes similar."

"Did the Black make them?"

"Indeed. You're certainly a curious one."

"Ah. Sorry!"

"No. It is a compliment, especially among out kind. Ask your questions. If I have not the time to answer, I shall say so – but never shall one of ours criticise the drive to learn. For now, follow me and listen. I shall explain unto you the precautious you will need here."

"Precautions?" she asked.

"You have noticed the nature of the Archives, how it stretches on for a seeming eternity?" He waited for her to nod. "That is not accurate – there is an end, but such has not yet been reached. It has not been needed, as the shelves there lay barren. In time, perhaps you will add to them with works of your own. Even so, the Archives are vast enough that should you get lost without food or water, you may well find yourself in trouble."

"It's that big!?"

"You could travel for a week in one direction and not reach the end."

That kind of scale was impossible to comprehend. Even as huge as it was, the city could be traversed in a day if you ignored the walls. The farmland outside was larger, but still nothing like this. There was simply no way this was beneath the Collegium. It had to be magic of another sort, either opening a portal to another world or condensing the Archives into a smaller space. _Have we been shrunk? Am I really less than an inch tall right now?_

"You may find a map from any of the desks," her guide explained. "Take one with you at all times. Note also the keystones placed into the floor." He pointed down to a stone square, a rarity among the varnished wood floor. It had the image of an open book on it. "You will find these split regularly among the Archives, and any outside will also feature an arrow. That arrow guides you back here. If you travel in that direction, it will always either bring you here or to another keystone which will point a new direction."

Meaning there would always be a way home so long as she followed the keystones. They were like a trail of crumbs left for her to follow. "Got it." Ruby held the map. "This is magical."

"It will destroy itself if you seek to remove it from the Archives, that is all."

To keep it secret, she realised. Make sure no one brought it out without realising and hinted at something the other Arcana weren't ready to see. _I definitely made the right choice of Arcana. Even if the Crimson are the best fighters, I bet there is plenty of combat magic hidden away here._

"You are free to use the Archives as you wish. No section is forbidden to you, no secrets withheld."

"Really!?" There was no hiding her excitement. "I-I mean, is that safe…? Couldn't people misuse it?"

"Could not an Initiate misuse any spell from any Arcana? Ours is not to judge, nor to control. How you seek to use the knowledge you earn is yours to decide, though naturally one should be prepared for the consequences of their actions."

"R-Right. I'm not looking to get in trouble…"

"Then all will be well." He came to a stop and linked his hands together. "Do you have any further questions?"

Hundreds, but she settled for one. "How do I find a specific book in this place? It's way too big!"

The man smiled, amused. "You must seek it." Ruby's face fell and the man laughed. "I'm afraid that is all I can offer you, Azurite. You're correct – the Archives _is_ vast. How, then, would we ever hope to catalogue all of this? How would I, but a simple Arcanist, know the location of every book upon these shelves?"

"You can't," she said, sighing. There were so many books that even if she started reading now, she'd probably die of old age before getting through a fifth of them. Maybe even a tenth. A spell would have been nice, but if that kind of thing was available, he'd have told her about it. Welcome to the Azure Arcana, where if you wanted something badly enough, you had to find a way to acquire it.

At least they were consistent.

"Would you have any advice…?"

"Books tend to be kept in relative sections, and those sections – where someone has been studious – ought to be marked. If you have not mastered a spell to levitate objects, be wary climbing the shelves. They are sturdy but so is the floor. Fall far enough away from the portal and it might be days before someone finds you. You're free to bring a book back here to study it, but do not feel as though you must. If you have travelled hours to find it, read it there. No one shall protest so long as you do not block the aisles."

The books couldn't be brought out. Ruby was sure enough of that without asking. "Thank you, sir…?"

"You may refer to me as the Librarian."

/-/

The wonder of the Archives hadn't even begun to fade before Ruby realised just how big a task this was going to be. Standing at the edge of the numerous rings of desks, the towering shelves loomed over her in every direction, a solid _eight_ paths she could take, with each of those splitting up again and again as the space became wider and wider.

Aligning them like a star meant that in theory as long as she went backwards in a straight line, she'd always reach the portal sooner or later. That had to be by design, as they could have arranged them in vertical and horizontal rows instead, but then it would have been a maze. Instead, the portal was the centre of a star by which eight rays initially stretched out, but then split into more and more, until hundreds of lines broke out from the central point.

And somewhere among those hundreds of aisles _might_ be a book on Wildmages.

Maybe.

_How am I meant to find the right book in this mess? I'll be here for years!_

The Librarian said she should take food and water in, but it wouldn't matter if she just browsed some of the closest shelves. Making sure she didn't go out of sight of the desks, Ruby walked down a lonely aisle some five feet wide with shelves reaching up on either side. Idly, she leaned in to read the spine of one.

`Origin of Magic: A Theory of Magic's Founding`

That sounded interesting. There was probably all kinds of magic that had been forgotten over time, and no one ever talked about how it all started. She already had a finger on the book and was drawing it out before she stopped.

"This doesn't help me."

With a longing feeling, she pushed it back in. Maybe the Azure _was_ the right Arcana for her after all. That thought only compounded as she looked through a few others and found herself almost salivating at the thought of them. Theories on how magic worked, how it interacted with nature and even how the first Arcanists discovered and trained their powers.

All of it sparked the imagination. Called to her. She knew she could have read them for months without losing interest, but therein laid the problem – she didn't have months. _I wish I was a normal Arcanist. I'd love to live down here for a year and just absorb all this stuff._

Learning in the slums was limited to being taught or listening to people tell stories and getting the lessons out of what the people in them did. Few could read and even less could afford a book of any value. She wasn't sure if it was the sudden change that made this seem so exciting.

Weiss acted like studying was useful but not something to be enjoyed. When you grew up with something all your life, it lost its lustre, but to her, the concept of all this being laid out before her was overpowering.

_I want to know more. I want to know how magic works. I want to learn it all._

But for now, she had to focus on survival.

`Laws of the Collegium`

Ruby hesitated by it but eventually drew it out. Compared to the others its title didn't spark her interest at all, but if it was a law that Wildmages had to be captured, then maybe this would provide the reason. It was more likely than finding a book just titled `Wildmages and all their dirty little secrets`, wasn't it?

The book thumped down on the desk and Ruby opened it up to the contents.

_Weiss is gonna flip when she sees me next..._

/-/

The bowl of warm soup clinked down.

It was with aching muscles, bones and watering eyes that Yang looked up. Her skin was pale and sweat dotted her face, while her throat was raw and scratchy. It felt as though every breath only brought half the air required, leaving her drawing in constant sips of precious oxygen. "Not hungry," she moaned.

"You need to eat." Blake sat with a huff. "It's potato and leek with chicken broth." Picking up a spoon, she collected a healthy amount. "And I made it, so trust me when I say you'll eat this or I'll pour it down your throat."

Yang tried to laugh. It came out hoarse. "Didn't know you could cook."

"Only a little. I had to learn." Blake helped her to sit up, Yang lacking the strength to really do so. While the medicine from the Alchemist had burned away the fever and the hated pangs of addiction had been weathered, a fresh plight gripped the city.

Pneumonia. The _true_ killer of the floods.

"I spoke to the Alchemist today," Blake said, spooning some soup into Yang's mouth. It was rich and meaty and even though she wasn't hungry, her stomach gurgled happily to receive it. "He said there's not much he can do for this. Too much demand. He said he could provide some tinctures to make you forget about the pain…"

"No." Yang shook her head. "Not those."

"I figured. I already refused him. Is that the usual way it's done, relying on mind-numbing drugs?"

It wasn't typical, of course it wasn't. The average Dredger couldn't _afford_ to have drugs when they were ill. It was the better off denizens that could, and they'd only rely on them when all else failed. Or when they were dying. It was considered a great act of charity to buy a tincture to send a loved one off to the happy places in their mind during their last moments. It had to be, since otherwise spending rare coin on medicine for someone who was going to die anyway was a waste.

Of course, the Alchemist wasn't going to say no if paying customers came along.

"I'll be fine," she muttered, opening up for another spoonful. Swallowing was hard, but the warm broth running down her throat eased the soreness a little. The chunks of potato were a bigger problem, bouncing and rattling down her neck like nails.

They weren't even hard. Her throat was just that sore.

"Just need rest." Gasping for air, she asked, "Where are we?"

"You noticed. Finally." Blake grinned. "My illusions started to fail on that family. I concluded our business there, took their `investment` and booked us into an inn. Hence having access to a kitchen."

Yang nodded, having thought the bed was a little harder. The room was still bigger than the one she and Ruby shared, telling her they were in the Merchant's Quarter still. "Have the floods gone?"

"Mostly. The water is about knee height now. People are collecting and burning the bodies…"

Good. It was a horrible task but leave them too long and the whole city would be ridden with plague. The water itself would be fetid and spoiled, the bodies bloated. It was one task she'd kept Ruby away from, though the same couldn't be said for herself. Morbid as it was, it was considered their right to take any valuables from the bodies as payment.

Their finances hadn't been so good that Yang could pass up that opportunity…

"The dredging will start soon," Yang mumbled.

"Dredging?"

"The puddles. The water carries valuables." She had to pause between words to swallow or breathe. "Valuables lost in the river or swept out in the floods. Sometimes from the mountains too. Sparkly stones or metals."

More often than not, it was just stuff washed up from the slum itself, old jewellery, lost coin or, if you were lucky, some clothes that could be dried and repurposed. Rummaging around in the floodwater was what earned them their names as Dredgers, for the city would look down on them rummaging and looting the dead and sneer at such depravity.

Look at them scurry like rats. They don't even grieve their lost. Less than human. More interested in scrounging for coin than burying their dead. The slurs were ever present, and they did their best to ignore them.

They had to survive. That came before everything else.

_Except that won't be a struggle for me this year,_ she thought, looking around the inside of their room. Nor would it be for Ruby, who was safe and sound in the Collegium. With that in mind, Yang allowed herself to relax, closing her eyes and swallowing the last of Blake's soup.

"Is there anything you need me to do?" Blake asked.

"No. We only dredge to survive. If it's not needed…" She kept her eyes closed as she leaned back. "You probably saved my life this year. I-If I got sick like this and Ruby wasn't there, I'd be dead. Or I'd have to ask the Lady for help."

"Lady?" Blake sneered. "You mean that woman who runs the whore houses?"

Yang shrugged. It was a living. The Lady would have paid for medicine and kept her fed, because her body could be worth something. Whether she'd ever wake up from what mind-numbing drugs the Alchemist fed her was another matter, but she would be alive.

You could escape or be rescued. Life could always get better, or worse, but that could only happened if you clung doggedly onto life in the first place. If she died, Ruby would have been left alone. That was something she refused to allow.

"I won't let you end up in a place like that," Blake snapped. "No one deserves that fate. Besides, Ruby is helping me. That's the only reason I'm looking after you."

"Is it…?"

"Yes." Blake took the bowl away but wouldn't meet Yang's eyes.

_Heh. Liar._ Yang grinned weakly. There was no way Blake could fake her absolute horror for what was going on, or the disdain in how she spoke to the merchant family who refused to do anything to help. Going to see the Alchemist again for medicine to alleviate pain wouldn't have been necessary either, but if the proud Arcanist didn't want to admit it, she wouldn't push.

"Thanks anyway. I owe you one."

"You owe me more than one…"

Yang opened one eye. "Something wrong?"

"The news isn't spreading thanks to all the other shit going on, but there have been reports of disappearances in the farmsteads furthest from the city." Blake scowled at the floor. "They're blaming Dredgers for it, but that doesn't make sense. Even at their most desperate, why kill?"

"Won't be us," Yang rasped. "They just blame us for everything."

"I figured. The homes and food were untouched. Those farmsteads all shared one thing in common, however. They each bordered the outskirts."

"You think it's the Grimm…"

"They started off in Menagerie by encroaching on our land. The aggression ramped up slowly. I can't tell if this is the same. You said some people flee to the outskirts rather than face the floods, so maybe they just lured the Grimm in, but I can't take that risk."

"You've been outside the walls?" Yang asked.

"No. Not yet. Not with you like this."

"Sorry…"

"Don't be. You want to pay me back, though, I'd appreciate the help once you're healthy. If the Grimm are getting more active, that's bad news for Vale – and the city is unprepared to deal with, stuck as it is mishandling the floods."

Grimm weren't something an average person like her was meant to see in a lifetime, let alone deal with, and Blake wanted her help scouting the cursed outskirts? Fucking hell. That was a death sentence she'd kept Ruby from ever going near, and the fact she'd broken that promise even once still had her on edge. Now Blake wanted her to go back?

"You have any idea what you're asking?"

"I can protect you. I can protect us both. If the Grimm attack the city en masse, however, then it will be Menagerie all over again. The walls of the Collegium won't keep your sister safe."

"Fucker." Using Ruby against her. Yang would have laughed if her throat didn't feel like it was being gripped in a fist and squeezed tight as a straw. "F-Fine. Once I can move. Is-Is there any news on Ruby…?"

"The Collegium is still up in arms with the wall down. I'd be detected before I could get close."

"Horse piss..."

"You and Ruby..." Blake shook her head at the vulgar language. "I'm sure she's fine. The Huntsmen are still hunting. They wouldn't be if she'd been caught."

Good news of a sort. Yang grimaced and gave up on sitting, laying back down and onto her front, which alleviated the pressure on her lungs. It still felt like a small child was sat on her chest, but she pushed her face down in the gap between two pillows and focused on breathing.

"Are you sure you don't want the tinctures?" Blake asked quietly.

"I don't want to lose my mind."

"I'd be here. I can make sure you're safe."

"No." Yang wheezed loudly. "Pain, I can deal with. I'm me. I want to stay as me, no matter what."

"Alright." Blake moved to the door. "I'm going to gather more coin. Try and sleep."

Yang waited for the door to close before she retched, expelling some faint remains of the soup rolling around in her stomach. Shaking in the cold, even with her body burning and sweating, she closed her eyes and kept Ruby in the forefront of her mind.

It would all be worth it so long as she was alive.

* * *

**Still feeling bad, kinda like Yang in this chapter. I just stole my symptoms and threw them back. Yeesh. As mentioned in Relic, but included here for those that don't read it, I'm badly sick and staying home for obvious reasons.**

**I'm writing because it helps keep my spirits up and let me focus on something, but chapters are shorter and a little more laboured as a result. Don't worry, I'm not forcing myself to write to the detriment of my health. I'm writing while remaining in bed and to keep my mind busy.**

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**Next Chapter: 22****nd**** March**

**P a treon . com (slash) Coeur **


	34. Chapter 34

**Troll in Reviews**

**As has been noted, there is a troll in reviews spamming guest reviews and trying to frame people by writing their name in the name slot. Just ignore it. It's not worth the effort of paying attention to and I'm only writing this message so people are aware.**

**He's also pretending to be me by writing ****_my_**** name in guest review slots. I would only ever review something from this (logged-in) account.**

* * *

**Cover Art:** Z-ComiX

**Chapter 34**

* * *

"WHAT!?"

"What?" Ruby asked back, smiling as she paused in the entranceway to the common room, offering Weiss a bemused and slightly amused smile.

"W-W-W-W-What is that!?" Weiss stammered.

"That…?" Ruby turned and looked down over her shoulder, almost as if she were trying to see if someone had stuck something to her back. Under the shocked gazes of a few others who recognised her, she turned and looked over her other. "I don't see anything."

Weiss continued to point, finger shaking.

"Is it my hair?" She fluffed it up. "I know it's gotten a little long. I was thinking of growing it-"

"Robes!" Weiss managed to get out, choking on the word. "Robes!"

"My robes? What about them?"

Maybe she pushed a little too hard there. It was a thought to consider as Weiss charged over, gripped said robes under her neck and yanked her close, so close their noses touched. The girl's eyes were blazing icy blue. "These robes. Explain. Now."

"Heh heh. I'm an Azurite now. Surprise?"

Weiss stumbled back, lips moving but no words coming out. Eventually, she said, "You're an Arcanist…?"

"What? No. No, no, no. Azurite. It means an initiate of the Azure Arcana." She flashed her Arcanum, still lacking a blue stone. "I'm still an Initiate, I've just been accepted into the Azure. Nothing changes. Like, at all. I'm still in every class I was before."

That assurance calmed Weiss down a little – she felt bad for the entire act once it was clear how worried she'd been. Before Weiss could tell her otherwise, Ruby swept in and gave her best friend a big hug. For once, Weiss didn't instantly push her away.

"T-This is great," Weiss said. The hesitation was painful. "Congratulations."

"Want to talk more in private?" Ruby whispered. Weiss' quick nod against her shoulder was all the answer she needed, the two slipping off while a few of the other less antagonistic nobles offered their own surprised compliments.

Most of it was just that, automatic and polite. They didn't care for her any more than they did Weiss. That didn't bother her as much as it did her roommate, but then she didn't have to deal with these people after the Collegium. They'd be important dignitaries and such that Weiss couldn't avoid forever. Once they were in their room, Ruby locked the door and pushed Weiss down onto the bed.

Weiss allowed it. "Explain."

"I'll tell you what I can, but I have to keep some secrets. That's the Arcana rules!" she hurried to say when Weiss looked upset. "There's stuff I'm not allowed to say. It'd be the same if you were in the White."

"Alright. I'll listen."

"I took and passed the trials. I've been accepted as an Initiate of the Azure Arcana – an Azurite – which means I can do more in the Azure and learn their spells and stuff, _but-_" Ruby stressed the `but`. "It doesn't change anything about what I do outside it. I'm still an Initiate, I still study here and we're still roommates. The only thing that's changed is that I wear blue robes and get to do a little study time at the Azure Archives if I want to."

"I see. What are these trials?"

"The Arcana has challenges that you have to complete to get into them. I can't tell you what ours is – no one would tell me. The White probably has them as well and the whole point is that we don't know what those are."

"Can you give me a clue?"

Could she? Well, Ren had basically told someone not affiliated so maybe it was okay. "My trial was to find something. The Azure Arcana is all about secrets, so I had to find something that was hidden. Ren – that's another Azurite there – said the Crimson is probably a combat test."

"That would make sense." Weiss nodded, a little calmer now that she had a grasp of the situation. "I expect the Emerald is a medical test while the Black involves creating or enchanting something. I wonder what the White would be…"

"You could go find out. My trials weren't timed, and they even said that if I fail, it's not like I can't try again later. It wouldn't hurt to ask about them, even if you don't sign up straight away. I bet they'd tell you. Ren said there's no requirement on when a person can try."

"Perhaps I'll enquire. Still, to complete your trial so soon – that has to be a record!"

"Eh. It wasn't that hard."

"Ruby!" Weiss chided. "Don't you see how incredible this is? Imagine it. No amateur could join the Emerald or Crimson – they'd need to master spells we have _no means of learning_ right now. How is a new Initiate supposed to fight a Crimson Arcanist? How is someone who is just learning how to manipulate fire and water meant to seal a fatal wound or treat sickness? It's impossible."

_But my task was easy,_ she almost said.

Then, didn't. Paused. Thought on it. Had her task really been that simple? For her, yes, but how would it have been for the average Initiate? They couldn't hope to trail after and follow an Arcanist without being caught. They couldn't hope to sneak through the halls avoiding detection to catch someone entering the Archives.

They'd need a tracking spell. Something powerful enough to follow someone without being obvious – subtle and sneaky. They'd also need a way of mapping out the building to know where that person went, then either powerful detection magic or anti-illusion to get through the wall. And that was assuming they'd run out all the tracing and attempts to decipher the fake books up top. Most people wouldn't assume it was all a trick because most people weren't used to the tricks and trades of the everyday conmen of the slums.

_I lucked out because I could sneak my way through it, but if anyone else tried then they'd need loads of tracking, scrying and detecting spells to figure anything out._ They only knew _of_ those spells at this point but had no idea on when or how to learn them.

That guy who was still searching after two months wasn't an outlier. He was on schedule!

"O-Oh. I guess I got pretty lucky…"

"Lucky?"

"I didn't have to use any spells. I just sort of stumbled on the answer…"

"And since your task was to _find something_ you weren't then tested on _how_ you did so." Weiss slapped her forehead. "Oh my lord, you're singlehandedly the luckiest and most idiotic person I've ever met. I can't believe this. Not a single spell?"

"Nope."

"Gods. Well, that makes me feel a _little_ better about this at least. I thought you were leaving me behind, learning magic in secret and not telling me." Weiss picked at her bedsheets as she said that, and Ruby came over to sit next to her. "I know," she growled. "I'm being stupid."

"Yep. I'm not going anywhere. Besides, you can always try for the White."

"I will. Would you help me?"

"If I'm allowed, sure." There might be something she could find in the Archives, but then that was a question of the sheer size of it as usual. The book she'd skimmed through had some useful information on the Collegium, but yet again it just stated that the laws were to capture and subdue all Wildmages, not _why_. "There's another benefit to this, though."

"Hm. What's that?"

Ruby's grin turned savage. "Martyn is still an Initiate."

"You're going to flaunt your new robes all over him, aren't you?"

"Yyyyyyyep!"

Weiss laughed. "Well, that's one good thing at least! Are you going to tell Jaune?"

"I will when I see him."

"You should invite him for dinner and tell him then," Weiss suggested.

"In the food hall?"

"No." Weiss sighed dramatically for some reason. "And not with me like last time. I'm saying you should eat with him alone and tell him." Under her breath, she muttered, "I still can't believe you invited me the other day. If I'd known that was what it was, I'd have refused."

Why would she refuse? Jaune had invited her for food and said she could bring Weiss alone – she didn't really see the problem in it all. There'd been a strange awkwardness with just the three of them, but she'd assumed it was because Jaune was tired again.

"I don't understand…"

"That's because you're an idiot, Ruby."

"Hey…"

/-/

Not a class went by without people staring at her new robes in awe. Weiss had been right; she was the only one with robes not initiate-grey, and that made her stand out despite her best efforts to hide at the back of the class. The teachers were the only ones who didn't seem to care. Lessons went on as normal but for the occasional look she received.

The very second class was over, Weiss said she was going to visit the Cathedral of the White and ask about their trails. She had a feeling Weiss wasn't the only one, since Martyn and a few others had been giving her dirty looks all day, clearly feeling challenged.

_It's just like the slums,_ she thought. _One person does something and it works, then everyone tries the same._ Usually, that was the latest scam or money-making scheme. It was funny to realise how alike the people of the slums and the nobles could be. The only difference was the people here did it out of pride, not to survive.

"Seems the Azure Arcana will accept anyone into their fold," Martyn remarked as he walked by. "Some people aren't as discerning as others."

"What does it say that everyone refused you, then?"

A few of the nobles either not allied, against or confident enough in their positions to eschew the politics chuckled at her words, one even going so far as to clap her shoulder on the way by. Martyn sneered his typical sneer, mumbled something about proving the Crimson above her and storming away. His hair was now swept over and cut short, giving him an unbalanced and awkward look. A shame they'd gotten the colour out of it. Shaking her head, she made her way to the Arcana, knowing Weiss wouldn't be around to miss her since she was at the White.

Would Weiss be as fortunate with her trials? Her biggest worry was that Weiss would face an actual challenge she wouldn't have any hope of getting by as luckily as Ruby had hers. That would hit her mood hard and probably have people comparing them again. Bad enough when it'd been because of her poor eating habits, but if people were going to say Weiss was weaker than the barbaric noble from Menagerie and that got back to her family, it might cause problems.

_I'll just have to help her. If she needs a spell maybe someone in the Azure can teach me it. _Even if she couldn't tell Weiss about the Archives or take her there, no rules existed against her finding knowledge inside and sharing it. Well, those rules probably did exist, but no one would be able to trace it back to her.

The Azure archives – the _fake_ Azure Archives – was as busy as ever, but now that she knew everyone up top was only pretending to read, she could see how little time they spent there. Rather than go down to the Archives herself, she instead paced down the corridors retracing her steps from a week or so before, eventually reaching a door with "Lie Ren" written on a plaque. Coughing to herself, she knocked three times.

Ren's voice came back uncharacteristically annoyed. "I already told you I'm too busy!"

"Eh?" Ruby winced and called, "Sorry."

"Ruby?" The sound of footsteps came from within, then a bolt being slid aside and the door opening. Ren looked – well, to be fair he looked _awful_/. Sunken cheeks, dark rings around his eyes and his hair poking out at the strangest of angles. "It _is_ you," he muttered, holding the door open. "Sorry. I thought it was someone else. Come in."

"I can come back later if you're busy…"

"I'm not busy," he said with a little sigh. "I'd like to be, but I'm too exhausted. Come on, it's fine. I need the break anyway."

The room was a little messier than she remembered it being, a few books strewn here and there along with reams of paper scattered on the floor and a spilt pot of ink. There was also a white diagram drawn on the floor in chalk, with the sides scuffed. Ren had been busy.

"Ignore the mess. I was running an experiment late last night." He shoved some books off a chair and offered it to her, slumping down into his own and running a hand through his hair. It didn't fix much.

"Have you slept?"

"No?" He said it more as question than an answer. "At least I think I haven't. Thought I had a breakthrough." He yawned. "Didn't."

"Oh. Sorry…?"

"It's fine. Failure is a part of success. If you find the answer on your first try, the question obviously wasn't difficult enough. It wasn't a complete failure either, I managed to enhance the muscles in my arm enough to lift more weight than I can normally." He waved said arm, which she noticed was red and sore. "It wasn't an entirely painless experience."

"Do you need taking to the Emerald Arcana?"

"I was already taken earlier. Torn muscle. It's healing." Ren sounded remarkably unconcerned about that, though she guessed having healers on hand whenever you needed them would make anyone blasé about injury. "What can I help you with? I see you're wearing our robes. It took you less than a week to figure it out. That's impressive."

"I'm not sure I believe that when you look so bored…"

"My head is messed up." He waved a finger by his ear. "Some of the Emerald spells include dulling of feeling and emotion to help with recovery. I'll be more amazed tomorrow."

Ruby giggled. "Okay. Shouldn't you be sleeping though?"

"Probably. I will later, I promise. I'm just cleaning up for now. Anyway, what did you need me for? Or did you come to tell me you passed? If so, congratulations, but as I said, I can't really react properly right now…"

"It's not that. I wanted to ask about the Archives. I-"

"You want to know how to find a specific book."

Ruby's mouth hung open. "H-How did you know!?"

"Hate to break it to you, but that's _everyone's_ first, middle and last question in the Azure Archive. Tens, if not hundreds of millions of books, shelves that go on for miles in every direction and you want one book in particular." Ren cracked a weak smile. "It was the first thing I asked when I got in here, and probably the first thing Doctor Merlot asked as well. I'm still looking for books that'll help me. I've found some but the hunt never stops."

The disappointment settled in her stomach, dragging it down. "Oh," she mumbled. "Damn…"

The Librarian had said as much but she'd held onto the vague hope Ren might have someone to offer, which was ridiculous given his position as an Azurite like her. If the Arcanists didn't know, how was she supposed to?

"I'm sorry I can't help, Ruby. I would if I could. My own life would be made easier if there was a way…" He gestured to his research. "The only things I've found have been by searching on foot and collaboration."

"Collaboration…?"

"Asking people to report any on a subject I want if they find it by accident," he explained. "And in return, I do the same. I'm part of a small group. We're not really friends or anything, but it's five or six of us and we have a list of subjects we're interested in. If someone finds a book I want, they mark down on a map where it is. I do the same for their subjects. It's not much, but six sets of eyes are better than one. I can introduce you if you like…?"

Tempting, but she wasn't sure she could. The more people who knew what she was researching, the less safe she'd be. Maybe if she chose a subject tangential, she could get away with it. _But even if I said I wanted information on the Sanctum, people would ask why. How can I say I want to know about Wildmages without coming inviting questions?_

"I'll think about it. I'm not really sure what I want to research yet."

"Hmm. Well, you can let me know when you do. I'll help. On a side note, if you see any books that are about enhancing, strengthening the body or drawing magical power out in physical ways, I'd appreciate you noting where those are."

"Oh. Sure." Ruby grinned. "I guess we're all just wandering around like idiots hoping we find the right books."

"We really are. It's ridiculous, I know, but I'm not sure what the Arcana can do. The Black might be able to make a map to show things better, but we'd have to let them into the Archives – and they'd probably find a way to steal or copy everything down."

The Azure Archives were _theirs_, not the Black's. She'd only been a part of it officially for a day now, but she already felt defensive about it. _All the Arcana have their secrets. If they won't share theirs, the Azure shouldn't return the favour._

"How do the Arcanists do it?"

"Experience. They've been here longer than we have – at least four years, sometimes ten to thirty. They've naturally covered a lot more ground in the Archives, so they know where the subjects they want are held. Some also post rewards. There's a noticeboard in the Archives. Take a look next time you're down there. You can make decent lien scouting for the older Arcanists. Some of the Azurites do that to finance their own experiments."

That sounded interesting. "Have you?"

"Once or twice. The problem is it's time consuming because you need to roam deep into the Archives for them. The books they want aren't going to be anywhere near the entrance or they'd have found them already."

That was as far as she'd been, doing a rough circle around the portal. Ruby swore under her breath. Of course that wasn't the right way to find what she was after. If the Archives were so huge, the shelves closest to the entrance would be the _most known_ of all of them. She could probably find someone who had marked down every single book within an hour or two of the entrance.

It was the shelves further away that would hold the biggest secrets.

_But the Librarian said I could walk for days in any given direction and not reach the end. __I can't just take a week off lessons to do that. Weiss would freak._ Not to mention Ironwood and his Specialists, who were still looking out for any anomalies.

"Hey Ren. How does the Archives work with these trackers from Atlas?" A quick look at his arm showed that he had one as well, like every Initiate. "Wouldn't they be able to find the Archives by tracking where we are?"

"Didn't you attend the meeting? Oh wait, you weren't a member then." He yawned into one hand. "Sorry. We had a big summons about this where it was explained, but it was before you joined officially. Basically, no, the Archives are technically and magically located here, so even if you spent a month down there, it would look to Atlas like you spent a month in this location. Nothing suspicious at all."

Other than not going back to her room to sleep, but she knew what he meant. The Azure must have been worried about Atlas finding the Archives, so they'd have picked apart the bracelets to figure out what was what.

How deep did the Archives go? The Librarian said people could get lost in them, but was it large enough that she could let off a surge without anyone noticing? If so, that might be a way around Ironwood's plans.

"Hey Ren. Do you think the other Arcana could help make a way to find the books we want?"

"Possibly. You'd want the Amber or the Black. Amber for a spell, Black for an object. The problem is convincing the Amber to do anything like that. They're like us in a way – they'll have a spell they want to make, and it's not easy to convince them to do something else."

"How about the Black?"

"They're the same, but their work tends to be a lot more expensive because they need materials. You can usually find one willing to help if you have the lien to pay for it." Ren's fingers drummed on his leg. "Is it something you're looking to explore?"

"Yes." Finding a single book in the Archives within a time limit wasn't going to be possible otherwise.

"Hmm." He sighed. "Alright. I have a friend in the Black. If you tell her I sent you, she might be willing to give you a bit of a discount. I'd go myself but… well, she tends to lose focus when I'm around." He picked up some paper and started writing on it with a glass quill. "Give her this. Tell her I sent you. If nothing else, she'll probably listen and offer you a price."

Ruby took the parchment eagerly. "Can I just enter the Black Arcana?"

"It's free to enter just like ours. I'm sure they have their secrets like we do, but they're not on display. Just be polite. And remember that they can be a bit eccentric." Ren sighed again, loudly. "Her more than anyone. Whatever you do, _don't touch anything she's working on_. Chances are it'll explode. Violently."

"Is that what happens when the Black Arcana messes up?"

"No. If their enchants fail, the object is inert. The explosions… well… that's just her. And it's what she's after. Explosions are kind of her thing, always have been." Ren shook his head, muttering something she couldn't quite hear. "If nothing else, she's friendly. Just be sure to be open about what you and I are."

Ruby blinked. "And what are we?"

"Friends. Nothing less, nothing more."

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**No prizes for guessing who that might be. **

**I'm hoping to use this coming week of no updates to get a little ahead on the week after, which will with any luck mean chapters return to normal lengths again. For those wondering, my event this week has been converted from a live event to a streamed one, which is going to make it easier in some regards, but harder in others.**

**I'll be spending the week making everyone aware of that (and you just know some idiots will still try and show up at the venue no matter how many emails I send), and also trying to get all the sponsors ready for their speeches, make sure all finalists are in online attendance and such. Honestly, this is the first time I've ever had to do an online only event, so it's all confusing to me. I'll be spending Monday talking to some event specialists to try and sort something out and running through the tech and requirements, etc. **

**Luckily, my team is very crap on computers and digital content. ****Wait, did I say luckily? I meant, fuck my life, I'm doomed.**

**I complain, but obviously I'm very pleased I finally got through to the sponsors on this. It's more work for me, but so much safer for all of us. **

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**Next Chapter: 5****th**** April (TWO WEEKS)**

**P a treon . com (slash) Coeur **


	35. Chapter 35

**Troll in Reviews**

**As has been noted, there is a troll in reviews spamming guest reviews and trying to frame people by writing their name in the name slot. Just ignore it. It's not worth the effort of paying attention to and I'm only writing this message so people are aware.**

**He's also pretending to be me by writing **_**my**_** name in guest review slots. I would only ever review something from this (logged-in) account.**

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**Cover Art:** Z-ComiX

**Chapter 35**

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The Black Arcana was proof of the concept that even when you had all the power of magic at your fingertips and when your very thing was literally making magic stuff, imagination need not be involved. The very idea of a faction dedicated to making magical stuff brought up imagery of a fantastic castle or impossible geometric shape of a building twisting in on itself in a way that would induce headaches in those who didn't know its secrets.

Maybe she was judging unfairly but after the dimensional mystery of the Azure Archives, the squat and ugly stone building that housed the Black was a massive let-down. It wasn't just boring and normal constructed like a big, fat brick, but it was ugly. Hideous, even. There was a giant brick wall around the outside of it in desperate need of some creeping vines or moss or _something_ to make it look less like a prison.

The wall stretched out left and right from the gates; at least those were open invitingly. In terms of space taken, it was easily four or five times the size of the Archives, but from what little she could see, most of that was either empty fields or ugly grey bunkers of stone, with the occasional wooden shed here and there. Those were all spaced out like an army of refugees had descended on the area and claimed it as their own.

"And this is meant to be the richest Arcana?" Ruby stepped through the gate with the distinct impression she was in the wrong place, even if the black banners with the symbol of the Collegium, the twisted snake, emblazoned in gold on them, said otherwise. "The White has a flipping cathedral and the Azure has an impossible library. There _has_ to be something more to this…"

They were the Arcana of making magical stuff for crying out loud!

Ren had apparently been right about her being allowed to enter. No one looked askance at her, the few Black Arcanists and Initiates who came and went either chatting to one another or hurrying away with determined or – more worryingly – manic smiles. There were also a number pushing wheelbarrows in or with guards doing that for them, stacked high with what she could only assume were reagents for some new enchanted item.

A lot of those `mystical reagents` looked depressingly like brick, stone and wood.

The main buildings wooden doors were open, and she stepped in hoping for a reception, only to be foiled by the completely bustling room. Men and women in black robes came and went and the noise was like the slums during the market, except with less swearing.

"Excuse me!" Ruby tried. Immediately, everyone in front of her parted with the kind of intense focus required to ignore a call for help. "Ah. Excuse me? Can someone help me? Hello? Hi there, can you-"

The person she'd been reaching for dodged with far more athleticism than she expected, and an incredible skill in acting to boot, as though twisting and swerving away from someone while reading a book was a totally normal thing.

Ruby puffed her cheeks out.

"Excu-"

_THOOM!_

The very building vibrated as the cataclysmic sound drove her to her knees. Ruby clasped both hands over her head, heart racing, only to peek one eye open and realise she was the _only_ person reacting that way. The other Arcanists and Initiates were even walking around her, bypassing her like river water running past a rock.

Ren _did_ say his friend liked explosions. It felt like a little bit of a coincidence to assume the two were connected but no one here was willing to help. Sighing, she made her way out the building and peeked around into the grassy fields. A couple of Arcanists were out with strange objects – some small and difficult to make out, but others quite obvious; chairs, tables, even a chest of drawers.

_The fields are testing areas for their enchanted items._ It made sense. If they had the power to go wrong, you probably didn't want to test them indoors and around other people. Maybe that was why the main building was so unassuming. No point investing in something that was going to get damaged.

It wasn't hard to find where the explosion had come from. Off in the far corner of the compound, as far away from the building as humanly possible, a long trail of blackish smoke wove its way into the sky. Thick and roiling, the smoke didn't look anything like that released by a fire or burning manure heap. The _smell_ hit as she got closer as well, something sharp and tangy that burned her nostrils until Ruby had to bring her shawl up to cover her nose and mouth.

How did Ren, so quiet and peaceful and polite, know someone like this…?

`This` being the girl stood out in the no-longer grassy section of her testing area, hands on her hips and bright orange hair dotted with soot. She wore the black robes of the Arcana, but her sleeves were drawn up all the way to the shoulder and she'd done the same with the hem, drawing it up to an almost indecent height and tying it in a knot above her knees.

It was clearly burned and charred at the edges, not that she seemed to care. Kicking something on the floor with a heavy pair of boots, the girl wiped some sweat from her face, accidentally smearing black soot all over herself at the same time.

Ruby came to a stop a polite – and safe – distance away. "Hello. Are you Nora?"

The girl didn't respond. Ugh. More of this? Weren't Nobles meant to be polite? All of Weiss' lessons were wrong apparently.

"Hello! Ren sent me." No reaction. "Hello? Can you at least say something?"

The girl stooped to pick something up and toss it in the air, catching it and inspecting the object before shaking her head and throwing it aside. Already irritated at being ignored by literally everyone in the compound, Ruby stepped up and touched the girl's shoulder.

Causing her to freak.

"Ahhhh!" The Initiate jumped a good foot in the air, landed awkwardly and span on the spot, hand clutched to her chest and eyes wide. "Don't sneak up on me like that!"

Ruby's eye twitched. "I called out for you. Twice!"

"What?" the girl yelled. As in, she really did yell despite being so close. "Did you say something?" Wincing, she wiggled a finger in her ear. "Hang on!" she kept shouting. "My ears are ringing. Give it a second. Usually fixes itself."

Oh. The noise must have deafened her. That made a little more sense…

The girl tapped her ears and cracked her neck and did a few other things Ruby was sure wouldn't fly in the Emerald Arcana, before apparently reaching a level of hearing she could work with. With a bubbly face and bright blue eyes, she laughed and stuck out a hand. "Nice to meet'cha. The name's Nora. Nora Valkyrie."

"Ruby." It took her a second to recall she was meant to give her family name too. "Rose. Ruby Rose."

"And you're in the Azure Arcana? Boo. Why didn't you go Crimson?"

"Uh. Should I have?"

"Duh!" Nora rolled her eyes like it was obvious. "Ruby Rose. Red, like a rose? C'mon, the clue's in the name." Before she could even think of the right way to address that, Nora gasped. "Wait, you're Azure. Do you know Ren? About yay high, black hair, _gorgeous_ eyes and-"

"I know Ren. He told me about you."

"He did!?" Nora shrieked the last part before panicking and looking at herself. She hastily untied the knot to let her robe fall to her feet, coughed into one hand and brushed her hair back. What she failed to notice was how her face was still streaked with sweat and black soot. "What did he say about me? How did he look when he was saying it? Wait, how _do_ you know Ren anyway? Are you friends?"

Suddenly, it made a lot more sense why Ren said what he did. "We're just friends."

"Okay. That's good. Not that it'd be wrong if you weren't, but yeah." Nora laughed and scratched her cheek. "Uh. Right, so. Ren sent you. Is he okay? I saw him yesterday and he was staying up all night and he's so dumb like that sometimes. I bet he didn't sleep at all."

"He didn't. I caught him exhausted this morning."

"I knew he would be! I was banging on his door earlier, but he wouldn't answer, probably trying to hide because he knew I'd force him to sleep!"

_That explains why he lost his patience with me,_ she thought. Poor Ren. Or lucky Ren; Nora was a little rough by the sounds of it, but she was definitely pretty, streaky face notwithstanding. How someone like him ended up with someone like her was a mystery.

"I'll tell him later," Ruby promised. "And I'm not trying to get in with your boyfriend."

"E-Eh!?" Nora flinched, then blushed a bright shade of pink. "It's not like that! I mean, we're together but not together-together, you know? Not that I'd be against it, but Ren, well, we've known each other _forever_. It'd be awkward."

_How can you say that with a straight face? I've met whores less capable of faking feeling…_

"Right. Sorry. Not together-together." Maybe it'd be best to bring the focus away from Ren. He had said she tended to get distracted around him, and she could see why! "He told me about you because I had a problem and was thinking of talking to someone in the Black Arcana to help. He said you might since you're his friend and all."

"Me? Oh, right. Ha. Sure! I get people coming to me for help all the time."

"Oh. Does that mean you're too busy for my request?"

Nora winced. "No. I, uh, happen to have nothing on my plate right now. You know how it is, everyone wants your services but you suddenly have an opening. You're pretty lucky!"

Looking around the dilapidated wooden shack Nora was working from and the fact she was stationed as far away from the Arcana as humanly possible, Ruby wasn't quite so sure. _It feels like she's more an outcast than I am in class, and that's saying something._

"Do you happen to be from a merchant family?"

Nora crossed her arms, some of her cheer diminishing. "Is that a problem?"

_Thought so._ "No. My best friend and roommate is the same. I was just thinking some of the nobles are pretty judgmental towards those people."

"They are. Not Ren, though. Ren's awesome."

"Ren _is_ nice," Ruby confirmed, then saw Nora's eyes widen. "As a friend. He helped me. Nothing more. Anyway, can I tell you my problem?"

"Sure." Nora rounded on the spot. "Come inside. I'll get you a drink."

She wanted to say she'd rather talk outside but wasn't sure how without it coming across wrong. Saying that she didn't trust Nora's shaky wooden shed sounded rude, even before she stepped inside and saw numerous… things. That was the only way to describe them. Balls, barrels and packets of stuff wrapped up in paper with symbols drawn around them. The recent explosion, not to mention the clear scorch and burn marks along the inner walls, didn't do much for her confidence.

"I'd ask you to take a seat, but it'd probably explode." Nora paused when she noticed Ruby standing stock still. "That was a joke."

"I like standing."

"Ugh. Ren told you about me, didn't he?"

"He said explosions were your thing."

"Yeah, my thing." Nora drew out a chair and sat down, then kicked one over to her. It didn't blow up. "Which means stuff only goes boom when I want it to. Ren's so dramatic, and this from a guy literally trying to draw his soul out his body. I mean, how is what I do more dangerous than that? Who messes with the soul?"

Gingerly taking the seat, Ruby accepted the pewter mug of water offered and drank of it. "You know about his research?"

"Yeah. Ren and I have known each other since we were babies, and we both became Initiates together. I wanted us to be roommates, but the Wardens were picky about that. I've read through his notes. He's gone through mine."

That sounded like a small thing but given the secrecy of the Azure Arcana, it probably said a lot that Ren trusted her that much. He'd told _her_ what he was working on, but he'd certainly not offered to let her look at his stuff.

"Ren's so dramatic sometimes too," she went on. "I get it. The Azure need for knowledge. He was always gonna end up there, but you wouldn't believe how many all-nighters he pulls. What's the point? He just ends up so tired he does bad work anyway. Might as well sleep, be rested and do decent research, right?"

Surprisingly enough, Nora's logic was sound. "Makes sense. He didn't look like he was achieving much this morning."

"He never does. Trust me, I've been on his butt forever about that." Nora grinned. "Anyway, what was it you wanted? I don't normally get people up to commission stuff from me."

"Because most people don't need explosions, I think…"

"Bah. Explosions are useful. They can clear rubble, break up rocks – think how good that'd be in building or mining. And that's before you get to fighting or knocking down buildings." Her lips twisted into a scowl. "And I _like_ explosions, but that doesn't mean it's all I can do. I went through the same lessons and trials as everyone else. It's like saying an Arcanist who likes to cook is just a chef…"

"Sore point?" Ruby guessed.

"A little. Everyone here acts like I'm one second away from blowing up in their faces."

"So you can make _other stuff_, right?"

"Sure." She shrugged. "I just don't like doing it. But reagents are expensive," she hurried to add, "So I won't say no to someone covering the cost of those for a bit…" Nora let the hint trail off, waiting for her to make the next move.

"How much are we talking?"

"Depends what you want. If it's easy, it'll be cheaper. I can give you the `friend of Ren` discount, but I'll have to know what you want."

Ruby explained as best she could. The Azure Archives had to be kept out of it, so she made it sound like she wanted to find specific books in a large library and left Nora to fill in the pieces. She'd seen the fake archives of course, so she probably assumed it was that.

"You want a map that finds certain books?"

"Yeah." Ruby watched Nora sigh. "Is that… too hard?"

"You don't really know how enchanting works, do you?"

Ruby shook her head in the negative.

"Okay. I'll give you the basics; you'll probably get lessons on it later. Magic is all about control, yes? Nothing is instinctual. You need to control everything from direction to flow, result, temperature and more."

Well, everyone else did. Not her. Ruby nodded anyway.

"That's the same when you're enchanting an object, except you're no longer there to keep it under control, so you need to make sure everything is _perfect_ when you make it, or the magic drains out way too quick and it does nothing. Every little thing has to be perfectly planned and worked out. And I mean _perfect_. You can't mess up a single thing."

"Okay…?"

"You don't get it." Nora sighed. "Okay, imagine a cooking pot. The kitchens want a pot that'll cook soup for them. This is actually a test we get given early, with the correct answer being that it's impossible to make it."

"Why? Couldn't you just have the pot heat up to the right temperature?"

"That's what most people think. But you need to plan _everything_. How does it heat up? How long does it heat up for? Where does the heat go? How long does soup take to cook? What about different soups? What about when the pot is cooling down but is still hot, what if it burns the soup? How much soup is being cooked? What happens if they fill it with a different amount of stock each time? How can you make sure it's always the same amount?" Nora waved her hand as she spoke, obviously recounting the lesson from memory. "The main point is that there are _way too many variables_ when it comes to cooking, and since every soup is different, not to mention every cook who uses it, there's just too much to go wrong."

"I… think I understand…" The basics anyway, the actual concept was probably impossible since her wild magic was so different from what Nora was talking about. "So because the pot might be used in different ways, you can't cover every angle."

"Pretty much. The closest we could do – and what the kitchens actually have – are pots that start heating up when they touch it, and then stop when they touch the same spot again. Heat on. Heat off. That limits the things we need to worry about and lets the cooks deal with amount, time and types of soup."

"Okay. And how does that work with a map?"

"One." Nora held up a finger. "How big is the library? Two. Where is the library? Three. How many shelves are there? Four. How many books are there? Five. How is the object supposed to read the covers? Six. How does the map tell you where to go? Seven. Does the map have to _draw itself_? Eight through, like, fifteen, how does it draw, with what, does it update, what happens to the parchment, can it reset, how does it reset, where does it get the ink from, how does it know to stop, where does it-"

"Alright, alright!" Ruby stopped her, guessing the list could go up to well over a hundred. "I get it. That – That's too hard, right?"

"It's not hard. It's impossible. Maybe if you got me an existing map that'd cut, like, thirty parts out of it, but there'd still be more. I'd need to go there myself, map out everything, figure out where every book is first – and by that point you might as well just ask me what book you're looking for and we can skip the map. Maps are hard. There's a reason it takes a cartographer a long time to make a good one."

"It's not possible then…" Ruby felt her hope drain away.

"Hey. Hey. I didn't say that!" Nora snapped her back to attention with a laugh. "I said _a map_ would be impossible, but I can figure something out. First lesson of the Black Arcana – simplify. Whatever someone wants, find a way to boil it down to its simplest elements and work from there. Give me a couple of days and I can work something out."

Her head perked up. "You'll have it made?"

"Ah. No. I plan first, then we talk, and if you're happy with the idea and want it to go ahead, you pay and I start. Black Arcana rules. Makes sure our reputation doesn't get dragged through the mud. We're all responsible for the Black rep here."

The Black were more like a business than any other Arcana. This was their guarantee, and she was sure they'd have debt collectors as well to make sure customers paid. Maybe even legal representation if something went wrong. _Making enchanted objects people can use in everyday life must be big money._

Less so for Nora's explosives.

"But before that!" Nora chirped. "We need to make sure you can even pay for it in the first place, which means my favourite part." Her eyes sparkled. "Haggling."

Haggling with the daughter of a merchant. Ruby knew it was going to go poorly even before it started, and her experience driving a hard bargain in the slums ran into a brick wall against Nora, who stood her ground, waxed about time, labour and ingredients, and then pointed out how no one else would even care to help her in the first place and she was only doing so because Ren had recommended her.

After fifteen minutes, sweat was dripping from Ruby's face. She'd thought this would be easy – most nobles didn't even care about money since they were filthy rich, but it was like Nora didn't understand the meaning of the word discount.

_I can steal a lot of stuff, but I'd have to rob the whole dorms blind to afford her rates._

Was Black Arcana magic that expensive? Possibly. She had nothing to base it on and she didn't think Nora would scam her out of hand when the knowledge would inevitably make its way back to Ren. The way she said it, these exorbitant rates were par for the course. _I chose the wrong Arcana. I could be filthy rich here. Sheesh!_

"I-I can't afford that kind of lien. I'm not made of money…"

"And I'm not made of free time," Nora explained. "I don't want to be mean, but this is a lot of work. I'll be stopping everything for two weeks at least to finish it – and it's not like you have to pay if I fail. Black Arcana guarantee."

That was nice and all, but she was more worried of the consequences of failing to pay if Nora succeeded. That kind of attention could get her in trouble, especially if Ironwood and the Specialists learned what she was looking for. She needed something else. Something that Nora might want that she could help get.

Wait…

"How about half that amount-" Nora was already opening her mouth. "-and I get Ren to take you out on a romantic dinner date."

Nora's mouth dropped open, then sealed, then pinched as she swallowed obviously and looked around, perhaps worried Ren might have overheard and come jumping out. When no such Ren appeared, she leaned forward.

"You - You think you can do it? A – A real date? Like, together-together date?"

Hook, line and sinker.

"Trust me. I'm a master matchmaker."

Ren probably hadn't intended for her to throw him under the horse's hooves when he told her to seek out Nora, but he hadn't explicitly forbidden it, had he? _Sorry Ren. I need to make sure I don't blow up due to Surges. _

"Do we have a deal?"

"Deal!"

/-/

_I wish Yang was here. She'd know how to matchmake someone._

For all her boasts, getting Ren to agree wasn't something she had any idea how to do. It got Nora to start planning a way to get what she wanted, though, so she was willing to take the chance. If nothing else, she could ask what Ren wanted and work from there, or just beg him. Pride wasn't something you really cared about in the slums, and begging was a perfectly acceptable form of income, if a little inconsistent.

Coming back to the dorms, she was surprised to find Weiss still out – possibly at the White trying their variant of the trials. Hopefully, she'd be alright.

Ruby picked around the room for a bit before growing bored and heading out again to the Azure Archives with the plan of wandering around hoping she stumbled on a useful book. On the way, she spotted a familiar face off by the Grand Arcanist's tower and an altogether different idea took hold. He'd said she could come and talk if she wanted to, and he was part of the Azure as well.

What was the harm?

Approaching the Arcanist by the door, she waved toward him, watching the confusion on his face before he recognised her. "Lady Rose! New robes, I see. Congratulations."

"Hi Marrow. Or Arcanis-"

"Just Marrow." He smiled cheekily, nudging his partner with an elbow. The other man, far paler with strange markings and shaved hair, rolled his eyes and looked toward the heavens. "And what brings you over here? Not in any trouble again, are you? Arcanist Ironwood spoke to that boy who got you in trouble – and believe me, he wasn't pleased about it. Gave him a real telling off."

Heh. Good. Malneux deserved no less.

"I wanted to speak with the Grand Arcanist. He said I could…?"

"Sure. Sure. He's in a meeting with Ironwood at the moment but it should be ending soon. How about I keep you company until then?"

"Marrow," his companion said tiredly. "Do try and keep some degree of professionalism. We were told to guard the entranceway."

"From who? The locals? The Grand Arcanist made it clear she could come see him, and last I checked Ironwood told us we were to not cause any disturbances. Vale's customs come before our own while we're here."

"I'm frankly amazed you remembered that." He sighed. "Very well. Entertain your guest but remember that we're on duty. You can dally with young women in your own time."

Marrow scowled and made to swipe at his friend, but a sharp glare warned against it. Shaking his head, the faunus motioned for her to follow him in. Despite being called the Grand Arcanist's tower, his quarters only made up the highest level as far as she could tell. The building itself was used for other things and had plenty of people working there. Maybe they were administrative staff, no one ever explained, and Marrow didn't bother either, instead taking her up the long and winding staircase and to a plush waiting room outside the Grand Arcanist's office.

From the sounds of it, he and Arcanist Ironwood were having a heated discussion inside. The words of which, she couldn't make out.

"So, how are you finding the Collegium so far?" Marrow asked, sitting and leaving room for her to his side. Ruby saw no issue and sat with him. "You're from Menagerie, right?"

"Hm. It's nice. What's Atlas like? I hear it's cold all the time."

"Ah, only about half the time. To hear people in Vale say it, you'd think we eat snow and walk around in thick robes. The snow only reaches the city in the last few months of the year, otherwise it's chilly but more wind than ice. The Collegium has an eco-zone on it – that's a set of enchantments which moderate the temperature."

He dove into a long tale about the Collegium in Atlas and she had to admit he was good at storytelling, drawing her in quickly and painting grand images with his words. Atlas, to him, was a glorious place where Arcanists had a duty to protect the people and often did so. From the sounds of it, there were no slums there, the poorer elements of the city being the same but still treated like normal human beings.

It sounded fanciful but Blake had said the same about Menagerie. It must have been the tiered nature of Vale that caused it, or maybe people acted this way because of the floods. Perhaps they convinced themselves Dredgers weren't human because they couldn't stand the thought of sitting back and doing nothing while people died.

Whatever the case, she found herself wishing she and Yang grew up in Atlas.

The door opened suddenly, Arcanist Ironwood storming out with a furious frown. He paused on seeing her and Marrow, forcing his expression back into one of neutrality. "Specialist Marrow," he said. "And a guest, I see."

"A guest for the Grand Arcanist, sir." Marrow stood quickly. "I was escorting her here and keeping her company. Isn't that right, Ru-"

"He was helpful," she said quickly. He shot her a grateful look.

"Hm. Glad to hear it. Well, your work is done for now, Marrow. With me. We're entering the city proper tonight. I need you to run ahead and inform the others. It's down to the Lower District." He motioned for Marrow to go, moving ahead himself and leaving Ruby behind.

_The lower district? They're hunting for me._

Was it an opportunity? She wasn't sure. Leaving the city would still be impossible and she couldn't let off a surge without everyone here noticing. Before she could think any further, the Grand Arcanist himself appeared in the doorway, coming to close it but then noticing her.

"Oh. Is that Initiate Rose? My, I heard someone had set a new record in joining the Azure, but I didn't expect it to be you."

"Ah." Ruby jumped and laughed. "Ah, well, it was more luck than skill."

"I dare say it would have to be. There's simply no way for you to have learned the magic required to pass the trial." He said it casually, but she knew he was fishing. "How _did_ you divine the location of the Archives?"

"I didn't use magic. I just followed someone."

Ozpin stared at her, and for a moment she thought she'd done something wrong and he might revoke her place in the Azure. That thought passed when he laughed. It was a warm sound that calmed her down.

"Such a simple solution. Perhaps those are the best. It's all too easy for us to rely on our magic and forget we once did everything without it, and that some still do. I'll keep your secret safe to heart, Initiate, though I doubt any within the Azure would be disappointed in you. It matters not how the destination is reached to those of us who wear the blue."

"Only that we find the answer we're looking for," she finished.

It wasn't a password or a saying, but it felt like a mantra everyone in the Azure knew.

Ozpin smiled. "Precisely. Now please, come in. You want to ask me something, no? I have time aplenty and would not turn down a pleasant conversation after a tense meeting. Would you like some tea?"

"Sure. Thank you." No one had ever really told her how she was meant to act around the strongest Arcanist in the Collegium. Presumably, she was meant to dial the politeness up as far as she could, but he didn't seem to mind her not doing so. "You said I could come back and ask for advice if I needed to. Is that offer still open?"

"Of course. I do not make such proposals only to draw them back. What is it you wanted to ask?"

Something stupid, but nothing ventured, nothing gained.

"Can you teach me a spell?"

* * *

**What you got in mind this time, Ruby? **

**On Nora and enchantment magic I like to imagine it's like coding in programming for complex machinery or limited AI, where you need to keep in mind every little thing that could potentially go wrong. You can't tell a robot to pick up a box, you need to explain what a box is, how hard a box can be handled, the dimensions of it and what "picking up" even means. **

**This was kind of a brief and sudden introduction to Nora without much in the way of background information for her. Don't worry, she'll become fleshed out in time.**

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**Next Chapter: 12****th**** April**

**P a treon . com (slash) Coeur **


	36. Chapter 36

**Troll in Reviews**

**As has been noted, there is a troll in reviews spamming guest reviews and trying to frame people by writing their name in the name slot. Just ignore it. It's not worth the effort of paying attention to and I'm only writing this message so people are aware.**

**He's also pretending to be me by writing ****_my_**** name in guest review slots. I would only ever review something from this (logged-in) account.**

* * *

**Cover Art:** Z-ComiX

**Chapter 36**

* * *

"Teach you?" Far from affronted at such a suggestion, the Grand Arcanist appeared amused, or maybe that was bemused. He was the most powerful Arcanist in Vale and she was sure people had made requests of him for years. "That's quite the bold request, Initiate. In all my years I've never had someone come up and ask me so directly."

"You said I could ask. I figure the worst you can say is no. And it's less of teaching me a spell and more helping me with a specific one."

"Hmmm. Go on. I find myself curious."

He was Azure Arcana despite all the other gems he wore, which meant his curiosity – or this thirst for knowledge – should be a defining factor. It was a little wild to bank on that but like she'd said, the risks were low. If he said no, he said no. Better still, she didn't have to lie about it.

"I'm working with someone from the Black to make a way to find certain books in the Archives. I thought of doing a map at first, but she said that'd be too hard."

"A map for the Azure Archives." He rubbed his chin, smiling faintly. Ozpin didn't seem to think she was doing anything wrong. "That's quite the novel approach – a few have tried over the years, but without any real drive. Most Azure get too distracted with what it is they're researching and don't put in the effort. I must admit, I was much the same. It's certainly something I can see being of value, but why would you need me to teach you something?"

"One of the things she said was how the enchanted object would need a way to know what book the user was looking for."

"Words are human language and we need eyes to read the spines of books."

"Yeah. I was wondering if you knew a way to translate words into magic. Or, like, magical code…?"

"So that the item in question could read the magical signature." The Grand Arcanist nodded, piecing together the puzzle. "I see. Quite clever. Rather than try and make the object understand what is said and then locate a book of a similar type, you would have two enchantments – one to translate your words into magical signature, and then the other to locate a book based upon that."

Ruby nodded eagerly.

"It's not quite that simple I'm afraid." He watched her face fall. "The theory is sound and I'm not of the Black myself, but I imagine a further complication might be that even if the object knows the magical signature of the title you're looking for and can translate that into words, how would it find the book in question? The books themselves aren't magical. You would translate your spoken words into magic, the item would understand it, but then the books on the shelves would still be written."

It'd be like using magic to teach someone how to speak a language instantly, then asking them to read a book in said language. Even if they could speak and hear it, they didn't know how to translate it in text. _Kind of like me learning to read._

Wait…

"Could we teach it to read?"

The Arcanist frowned. "Enchanted objects are not alive or sapient."

"Not like that, I mean, if you exposed it to loads of translated signatures _first_ then used the spoken part of it to draw from that list?"

"Cross-referencing? Perhaps. Yes, that might just work. You would need _three_ elements to the design, then. The first would be a verbal element that translates your speech into magical signature. The second would need to be a separate item that you could hold to each book. It would then translate the title spines into magical signature as well. The third would have to be a memory of sorts, by which the item containing the book spines would deposit its findings, and the verbal component would be used to call those up. It could then, in theory, tell you where the book had been found."

Ruby's excitement dimmed. "That'd still mean going around all the shelves first, which means it's no faster than looking on my own…"

"Not quite, Initiate. Think bigger. _You_ are not the only one who wishes to find specific tomes. Enlist the aid of more within the Arcana, send them out with multiple of these sensor objects. Together, you could map all the books within a decent distance of the entryway. In time, you might even be able to map those ranging far and wide."

"Do you think they would listen to me?"

"No." He moved to his desk, drawing out parchment and ink. "But they shall to me. Take this to the librarian. Explain your theory to him." He chuckled loudly, handing the parchment over. "It should be shameful to feel so much excitement at a proposal brought by an Initiate, but there are mysteries in the Archives even I have not had the time to find. I'm sure you shall find others just as co-operative."

The parchment wasn't sealed or put into an envelope, so she read it briefly.

_Initiate Rose bears a proposal that has piqued my interest. I ask you consider her words carefully and offer support. Should the Azure Arcana seek to implement this, know you have my approval._

_Sincerely,_

_Ozpin_

_Grand Arcanist._

Beneath that lay a reddened seal in wax printed with the symbol of the Arcanum, which would presumably prove she hadn't forged the thing. As if her handwriting could ever be so neat or swirly. Ruby looked up.

"Doesn't this all depend on if you teach me the translation spell?"

"There _is_ such a spell, but it would take you months to learn. It's commonly used to communicate silently – requiring both speaker and listener to focus their spells to translate. I could not teach you it in any good time. However, it is a spell most utilised by the Azure themselves. They can teach you, or failing that, they could provide the theory to the Arcanist you have within the Black, saving you the time entirely."

Perfect. If she could drop that off with Nora, they'd be well on their way to doing this. Ruby nodded, almost shaking with excitement. If this worked, it might still take time to map out the Archives, but everyone else would be doing it for her and no one would know she was looking for Wildmages.

"Thank you, sir! I'll get on this right away."

/-/

The Librarian had been patiently disinterested when she approached him, but his attention soon focused when he saw the letter from the Grand Arcanist, and soon he was nodding with her, visibly intrigued.

"Yes, this could certainly be something the Arcana would be interested in. I dare say if we made enough of the scanning items, we could make it mandatory for everyone in the Archives to travel with one pointed toward the shelves. Or if not that, we could limit access to the system unless they agree to add to it."

Sure. Whatever. As long as she had it. "So you'll help?"

"Of course." The man walked to the wooden desk where the maps were kept, crouched by it and opened a cupboard set underneath. He rummaged around inside before coming out with a book, which he handed to her. "Here. This isn't an Archive tome, so you can take it out with you. It's a theory on magical language often used to teach our scrying and far speaking spells. Give this to your contact in the Black. They should know what to do."

Ruby took it. "This isn't an Azure secret, is it?"

"Not at all. You may leave it with her. We have spares." He tapped his arm. "I shall have to speak with some other senior members of the Arcana, but I am sure I can acquire you funding for this. If your contact is to make more objects than initially expected, it will undoubtedly prove more expensive than you've already agreed. I know more than a few who will happily chip in for first access to such a system. Give me a few days and I shall have a figure for you."

"Thank you, librarian. I'll go now."

"Good luck to you, Initiate. Succeed here and the eyes of the Azure will be on you."

She didn't know if that was supposed to be a good thing or not, but it sounded vaguely threatening. Taking the book and making her way back upstairs, she stepped outside and drew in a deep breath. Back to the Black Arcana already. It was back and forth, back and forth, but at least something was being done.

"Here we go again…"

/-/

"Three items." Nora whined. "That's so much more work!"

"Sorry. I did get the magical language book for you, though."

"Yay." Nora took the book like it was poisonous, flipping through a few of the several hundred pages with a thinly veiled grimace. "You know, I thought I was signing up for something quick. This is going to cost. There's a lot more you're asking me to make, even if I've more an idea what I can do than I did before."

"The Azure have said they should be able to pay for all of it!"

"That's all well and good, but what did Ren say?"

"Uh. I haven't told him yet." Ruby smiled weakly. "I thought it'd be okay if they were paying for everything. We can skip the getting Ren to date you thing, right?" The look on Nora's face didn't fill her with confidence. "Or is that a no?"

"We made a deal."

"And I haven't gone back on it!" she said quickly. "But I mean, you want money _and _Ren?"

"Sure!"

How greedy was she? Ruby groaned. "O-Okay. No problem. I can still do both. If you can make this, that is. I'm not going to start working on Ren unless you tell me you can absolutely do it." Not least of all because this sounded complicated and Nora had so far only shown proficiency with things that blew up. "Can you make it?"

"Sort of. I can make it draw up the places where people found it, but the map is out." Nora waved her hand and quickly said, "I can't make it write in human ink on a map. What I _can_ do is have it so the thing that scans the books takes down a code for what shelf they're on. Then if you guys mark the shelves on a map yourself, you can find it. So it'll say `Magical languages; 12B` and it's your job to mark down where 12B is on a map."

Doable. Probably. That just meant people would need to write down and stick a label to each shelf, which would be annoying at first, but still make things easier. She was sure the Arcana would force everyone to follow the rules if it meant cataloguing everything.

"Okay. Fine. But can you do it?"

"I can. It's… well, it's not _easy_ because I don't know this language stuff yet, but it'll be easy once I do. The scanner part is just a translation and storage. The thing that keeps it all and draws it up on command is going to be a little harder. And big. If it needs to keep stuff memorised for hundreds of years, it's not going to be a handheld thing."

"There's room in the Archives."

"Good. It'll need its own spot. And crystals. Ugh, I hate working with crystals but there could be thousands of books in there."

Ruby coughed awkwardly.

"What was that?"

"I said… well… more like millions…"

Nora stared at her flatly. She'd _seen_ the fake Archives, so she probably knew there couldn't be that many, but there was no point having Nora make something that wasn't strong enough to handle the real Archives.

"Diamond, then. Solid diamond. I hope your guys are willing to pay for that."

"They will be. I mean, even the Grand Arcanist wants this so…"

"Well." Nora giggled. "At least I won't have to worry about my own funds after, and having the Grand Arcanist as a customer? Ha. I can't wait to see the looks on everyone's faces when _Nora Valkyrie_ makes the most expensive and important enchanted item this decade. They'll faint! And then Ren and I will stare into one another's eyes and-"

"Alright. Alright. I got the hint. I'll work on him."

Nora smiled slyly. "Good. I'm counting on you, Rubes."

"It's Ruby…"

"Rubes. Rubes. Rubes. Go on, leave me to cry myself to sleep reading this stupid book. And I'll take this seriously, not like I could be lazy with so many high-profile clients on this one. And maybe Ren will also be grateful I managed to help the Azure so much. Heh."

/-/

"Are you sure you're okay?"

"I'm fine." Yang spared a look for her partner – she supposed they were that now, partners in crime. While her body still ached from the sickness, she was well enough to move and the fresh air, cold as it was, felt wonderful. "The worst of it is gone anyway. Don't worry, I've done this before."

"I'm well aware. I still can't believe this happens every year…"

"It's not normally this bad."

These floods had been too sudden and too fast. She hoped that wasn't going to become a recurring theme or the slums wouldn't cope. The water was down now, reduced to large puddles and small segments flooded. People had begun moving back into the slums, Blake and Yang included. While it had been tempting to live up among the Merchants, she was aware they stood out.

In the slums again, they picked their way from dry patch to dry patch, shying away from alleyways where hordes of rats swam in the water and hunted for insects. There was no shortage of those, the fetid conditions and the bodies giving rise to flies and mites. The undertakers were busy gathering those that remained for the pyres outside the walls. It wasn't what anyone wanted, but it was safe.

In the meantime, children pushed their hands down into murky water in search of coin or valuables. The water could sweep things down from the other districts in very rare cases. Broaches, jewellery and a few coins. It was worth a shot when you had nothing else to do.

"Are you going back to Junior?" Blake asked.

"I am."

"Why? You don't need him."

"That's where Ruby will expect me to be. Better she doesn't come back and run afoul of him if I leave. Besides, I don't need him because you're here – and you won't always be. I have to think of the big picture."

Blake huffed and looked away. She wasn't sure why; nothing she'd said was wrong and Blake owed them no loyalty, so why did having that said annoy her? _Nobles,_ she thought. _There's no understanding them._

"I haven't forgotten I owe you. We're checking the outskirts, right?"

"Not until you're healthy."

"Sheesh. Since when did you become so concerned for my wellbeing?"

"Since I put so much effort into maintaining it!" she snapped. "I've dragged your sorry carcass up the wall and out the water. I'm not watching you die now."

And here she'd thought they might have something. Yang snorted, turning off the main street toward Junior's building. Blake disappeared soon after, close by but out of sight as usual. It was a good thing she did because Melanie was already outside, waving a knife to scare off some kids looking to ransack what they thought might be an abandoned building.

"Fuck off all of you! I'll take fingers, just watch me!"

Yang raised her voice. "Mel!"

"Yang? It _is_ you. Ha." The girl in a white scarf sheathed her dagger and balanced with one hand on her hip. "You're a sight for sore eyes. We didn't see you outside and feared the worst. What took you so long to come back?"

"Caught something. Had to take medicine from the Alchemist…"

Melanie sucked in a breath. "Are you okay?"

"Better, just a little weak. The tincture did its job."

"And payment," she asked carefully. "Did that fuck force you into something?"

"Nah. I paid him with coin."

"Good." Melanie relaxed, smirked and ran a hand through her hair. "Junior's inside if you wanna see him. He'll probably wanna see you."

Yang nodded and made her way in, shouting out so she wouldn't make the mistake of surprising them. Junior hollered back from the main room and she came in time to see Miltia using a bucket to toss water out a window. The place had been flooded all the way up to the second floor and the walls were damp and rotten. The floor upstairs would be too, along with her room.

"You're alive, I see."

"Alive and recovering. Took something from the Alchemist."

"Did he-"

"No. I lifted some coin for it." Everyone knew Theodore's less than appreciable desires.

Junior grunted. "Pleased to see ye still alive, then. Place is a fucking mess as you'd expect. Go sort your room out – watch out for rats. Expect some to have made their home here after the water dropped, maybe even got stuck in the rooms."

"Is there a treaty?"

"Aye. No movements on territory until this shit is over. The other gangers have all agreed – it's the usual." That was good, since it meant if anyone went against it, that gang would be hunted down and exterminated by all the others. "That means no work for you other than to get this place back in order. I'll be sending Mel out for food later. If'n we can find any."

"Nothing from outside the walls?"

"Floods came in too fast – some of the late crops were washed away." Junior sighed. "Farmers are rushin' to lay the seeds while the ground is still wet. I might be able to call in a favour, either to a farmer or a watchman. Either way, a cow will find itself slaughtered. Just depends if we're doing that legally or not."

That might be her job and frankly she'd do it. Their needs came before the farmer's profits. Unless of course Blake could go up to the merchant's quarter and get them something. It was going to be hard to get used to eating this swill again after the finer food she'd sampled there.

_I could try and marry some rich ass bastard up there, or work as a concubine for one. Honestly, that's more tempting now than it ever has been before._ It would never happen of course, she was too worried about making sure Ruby had a home to come back to. _Plus, Blake wouldn't let me. Hard to know if that girl considers me a friend or not._

"How's your sister?" Junior asked gruffly.

"Alive, I think, but it's hard to get in touch with all this."

"Hm. I'm sure she has it better than us."

"I hope so. I'mma go up top. Miltia, you got a broom I can borrow?"

"I have a fucking big-ass stick with a spike."

They both knew she wasn't looking to sweep floors. "That'll do, girl. That'll do."

Armed with her impromptu spear, Yang crept upstairs, the lance gripped with both hands and raised with the tip a foot or so off the floor, ready to stab down on anything that got in her way. The floorboards were rotten and squishy. They'd have to be replaced before the place collapsed on itself. Luckily, once the wood all started drying, there'd be plenty to scavenge across the slums.

A few dark shaped scuttled away as she made her way to her room. Teasing the door open, she hopped back, waiting for a furry horde to pour out. Nothing. Pushing in, the sunlight from outside illuminated her bed – sodden beyond belief – and their table tossed up against the wall. There was markings on the floor, shit and scratches, along with a couple of dead rodents below the windows. They must have got stuck inside when the water went down. It looked like they'd killed and started to eat one another.

"Lovely. I bet Ruby doesn't have to put up with this…"

She used her spear to fumble them out the open window. Hopefully, Melanie wasn't around to see. The true horror was that someone might consider cooking those later, but she left that thought for the nightmares it deserved to dwell in. The rest of the room was mostly clear, and she scraped the animal foul to the wall, ready to be dealt with later.

The bedding had to go. Too unsafe and likely infested with creepy crawlies. Speaking of creepy crawlies, there was a big one on her windowsill at that moment.

"You're not going to stab me with that, are you?" Blake asked.

"Depends how smarmy you decide to be. I'd not come in by the way, this place is a little unclean."

"Trust me, one look was enough to tell me I'm fine right where I am." Blake peered inside and grimaced, holding a hand up to pinch her nostrils shut. "This place is rancid – and I don't just mean your room. The whole slums is a death-trap."

"Sounds about right."

"How did you and Ruby ever survive as children?"

"Mom and dad kept us safe. It was easier when mom was alive, she always knew what to do – always managed to get us to safety, find enough food or a safe spot to sleep." Yang smiled at the memories. "Dad tried his best too, but he wasn't as good. Didn't stop him loving us, though."

"Sounds like you all loved one another."

"We did. Ruby doesn't really remember mom all that well. I always thought she was the most amazing person. Dad did too. When she died, things got worse fast. Hard enough to raise kids here, but it's worse as a single parent. I tried to help, and dad trained me as best he could, but it wasn't the same."

"What happened to him? The floods?"

"No." It would have been so much more painful if that were the case. "Disease. He got us out safe, fed us, found us medicine but couldn't find any for himself. Wasted away."

"I'm sorry…"

"Not your fault. And he died with a smile, both of us at his side. Said he was proud he'd managed to get us out the floods safe and that he was going off to be with mom." Her voice trembled and she drew in a sharp breath, wiping her eyes. "Said he'd be witching over us. That he was proud. Then… just closed his eyes. Slept. Never woke up."

Despite the state of the room, Blake hopped in and drew her in, pressing Yang's head to her shoulder. "He sounds like a great father."

"Yeah, he was. You see a lot of shit down here, kids abandoned, beaten or forced to work. Dad was never like that. He loved us both." That helped take the pain away, when there was time to even consider it. Yang pushed off Blake and smiled tiredly. It had been a long time ago. "Him and mom were the best parents a kid could ever ask for."

"Your mom. Summer, wasn't it?"

Yang hummed her agreement.

"You said she always seemed to know what to do, that she always succeeded and got you out safely. Was she that skilled?"

"I don't know. I was a kid back then as well, but whenever she went out to find food, she'd come back with some – and a lot. Not rich stuff like up top, but meat and veg from outside. I think she used to go to the outskirts to hunt. Dangerous. It's what did her in, I think. Went out and never came back. Didn't even cross our minds she might have abandoned us. That's just not something she'd do."

"Hunting in the outskirts would be where the Grimm are."

"Well yeah, but this was over ten years ago. If the Grimm were growing in number even back then, we'd have bigger problems than this."

"That's not what I meant. I'm saying she could survive the outskirts – and that she went out the city regularly. Yang, there's a reason most noble families have someone in the Collegium. Magic is hereditary. It passes down bloodlines. It's not one hundred per cent, but about half the children of an Arcanist will have the spark."

"Wait, you're saying our mom – Summer Rose – was an Arcanist!?"

"No. I'm saying she was a Wildmage. And that she went out to the outskirts to take care of her surges."

/-/

An Initiate in a white mantle fell to their knees beside her. Not a moment later, a coruscating beam of yellow light struck their chest, hurling them back off their feet. White robed people came forth to drag the sobbing mess of a man away, tears streaming down his cheeks.

Weiss swallowed, fear mingling with determination as she stayed standing, eyes focused on the stage at the front of the chamber with a single, tall figure stood in the centre. There were only three others along with her now, down from thirty when this began over four hours ago. Sweat dripped down her face. Her muscles _screamed_ in agony. Her hair was damp and sticky, her arms heavy, her legs long since numb.

And still, they made them wait.

Those that moved were cut down viciously. Alive, but in agony and ashamed by their failure. This was _nothing_ like Ruby had made it sound. This was torture. Worse, it was both physical and mental, attacking their bodies and their minds with mind numbing boredom. Their instructions were simple.

Stand still.

That was all they'd been told – and the person who instantly raised their arm to ask what they meant was sent flying across the chamber screaming. Others had turned to watch in shock and fear, only to be put through the same themselves!

A flinch, a turn of the head, scratching an itch, all were punished. Her left eyebrow had long since gone past a tickling itch and the sweat hanging from it didn't help. Her arms were shaking minutely, and she wished she'd locked those behind her back when this all started. Instead, she'd kept them flat at her side, so that was where they stayed for hours on end.

_They're going to break us,_ she thought. _I'm going to snap._

Thirty minutes passed in silence. A man a year older than her buckled and fell to one knee. He brought a shield up in time – using magic she hadn't yet learned – but that only prompted _two attacks_ from the adjudicators. Soon, he was face down in a puddle of his own sweat, then dragged away by a white robed figure who came forward.

They'd all be healed and sent on their way she was sure, but the shame and the memory would haunt them forever. She doubted many, if any, would come back. In all honesty, she wasn't sure herself if she would be. If the White Arcana was going to _torture_ them then why stay? Why bother at all? A part of her welcomed the thought of being knocked back, pain or no, because it would mean she could leave, shower, beg Ruby to massage her shoulders and maybe cry a little.

_I've not cried in years. What am I thinking? Heavens above, this nightmare is destroying me…_

Another fell. The girl passed out before she could be attacked, and in some rare show of mercy – or perhaps just because they didn't see the point – she was spared an attack. Her body was still taken away however, and then it was just her. Alone. Facing the figure on the stage.

_End this,_ she begged. _I've won. I'm the last one left. End this._

The blonde woman stared down at her, green eyes burning behind her glasses. If there was anything to say, it was that she stood still as well. A silent and constant proof that it could be done, that what they were being put through was something they might well have to do again. Weiss' left knee trembled. The woman's eyes tracked down to it and Weiss tensed her muscles, standing rigid. Said muscles only ached further, threatening to give way at any moment.

Ruby had been right – she should have joined the Azure. It wasn't too late. She could go back, ask Ruby for help, get in and then be with her best friend, her first real friend, for the rest of their time here. All she had to do was give up.

Give up and give that horrid woman up there the satisfaction.

Weiss' eyes narrowed. Never.

"You are the last," the woman intoned. "But the trial is not yet over. Do you expect to be celebrated for outlasting them? Do you believe it makes you special?"

There was no suggestion she was allowed to speak so she didn't. Someone had tried that earlier and been sent out screaming for it. No movement meant no movement. The only thing they allowed were what couldn't be controlled. Breathing, blinking and the tiny movements as they shivered were apparently okay.

"If you wish it, I shall let you retire now. I also won't strike you down for it."

_You'd like that, wouldn't you?_ Gathering the last of her strength, Weiss pushed it to her legs and held them still, refusing to buckle.

"I can see the sweat pouring down you. Your body can't handle much more. When was the last you had water? All the sweat will have left you dehydrated."

The reminder had her lips burning. Her tongue felt heavy and wooden, and she had to hold back from licking her chapped lips. The Arcanist was waiting for it, watching. There hadn't been any words for the others, which meant she _wanted_ Weiss to fail. Why? What had she done? And really, why should she care? This was horrible! There was no pride here, no justice. These were supposed to be the defenders of the city and its way of life, and yet this – this was evil!

_I… won't… break…_

Ten more minutes.

Fifteen.

Sweat, pain, vomit. She could taste it in her mouth.

Twenty.

Twenty-five.

Tears. Bitter, angry and drying to a sticky mess on her face. Her right knee kept shaking. Her breath was coming out hoarse. Every inch of her skin tingled like she was being dunked in a hot bath, then drenched in cold water.

Thirty.

Forty.

A dry, raw gurgle slipped past her lips as she fell forward, blackness swimming in long before her knees, and then her body, struck the ground. If there was any mercy, it was that she didn't feel the spell she saw hurtling toward her at the last second.

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**Yep. Ruby is making a computer. An ancient magical-based computer with its own memory, archiving and search function.**

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**Next Chapter: 19****th**** April**

**P a treon . com (slash) Coeur **


	37. Chapter 37

**Troll in Reviews**

**As has been noted, there is a troll in reviews spamming guest reviews and trying to frame people by writing their name in the name slot. Just ignore it. It's not worth the effort of paying attention to and I'm only writing this message so people are aware.**

**He's also pretending to be me by writing **_**my**_** name in guest review slots. I would only ever review something from this (logged-in) account.**

**Note:** I made a small mistake last chapter in saying Ozpin was not of the Black. Been distracted stuck in quarantine so forgot that. Apologies. He is of Black so I'll go back and change it so he offers the advice to Ruby a little more freely. As for why he doesn't do the work himself, we'll just say he's busy with other things – say, the Wildmage running around Vale.

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**Cover Art:** Z-ComiX

**Chapter 37**

* * *

Weiss opened her eyes to a clean, white ceiling and a soft blanket laid atop her body. The room was dimly lit so as not to harm her eyes, the bed she was laid upon soft with numerous cushions under her head and shoulders. Her grey robes had been replaced by something soft and warm, and when she struggled to sit up and the blankets slid down, she noticed the robes she'd been put into were a pristine white.

Her stomach both raised and dropped at the same time, flopping awkwardly. She wasn't sure if she should be pleased or not.

"You're awake. That's good."

Weiss turned and felt her shoulders tighten. The blonde Arcanist who had stood upon the stage and mocked her now sat in a seat nearby, a book face down in her lap. The blonde ringlets that fell down one side of her face bounced as she stood, putting the book down and approaching. Though the Robes were white, the woman's Arcanum also featured a red gemstone.

"I am Glynda Goodwitch of the White Arcana, and I welcome you to our ranks. Congratulations on passing the trial of will." She watched as Weiss tried to speak and only croaks came forth. "Your throat must be sore. We forced some water down you, but you went hours without. Here."

A porcelain cup was offered, ornate and rimmed with gold scrolling. Weiss toom it and drank, wincing at how sweet it was. Sugar water, or a fruit juice so strong it rotted her teeth, but she had a feeling it was the former and to grant her some energy after standing still for so long.

"W-What happened?" she rasped.

"You passed the trial. You and the girl beside you."

It was only then that she noticed another bed, within which lay a girl with long red hair pooling out across the cushions. She was still unconscious, and it took Weiss a few seconds to place her. "She was in the trials. The one who passed out before I did…"

"The only other with the strength to do so," Glynda remarked.

So lasting didn't matter. Weiss had outlasted her and they'd both passed, while others had held until mere minutes before this girl passed out. Something told her it wasn't a time trial or a situation of the top two passing.

"You said will. I thought the trial would be magic…"

"Magic? Other Arcana might focus on that." Glynda said it dismissively, like she was holding back her derision. "The Crimson asks for show of skill and strength as though _any person_ cannot achieve such given enough time. The Black only cares for you to know how to enchant, and again, is this not a school teaching people to use such magics? You may as well invite anyone in off the street. Our selection method is a little more rigorous, as you experienced."

"As I can still feel in my muscles!"

"I apologise." It sounded empty. "The Emerald Arcana cannot see this. Not all would agree with what we do."

_I'm not sure I agree,_ she thought, but it felt unwise to say that to Arcanist Goodwitch in the midst of the White Arcana's base of operations. Before, she might have thought no one within the Collegium would harm her, but she wasn't so sure now.

"Why do it then?" she asked instead. "Why put us through that?"

"To test your spirit."

The Arcanist raised a hand and caused a ball of purest light to appear within it. That light moulded itself into shapes, twisting into a rose, links of a chain rolling around one another and then a running horse the size of an apple, galloping in place on the woman's palm.

"Anyone can learn magic like this. What does knowing a selection of spells prove; that you're gifted? You could be approaching us at the age of fifty, the laziest Arcanist in history. Does it prove that you are capable? For all we know, it took you hundreds of hours to master those spells and you don't know a single one otherwise." Her hand clenched and the horse was crushed into motes of light. "It proves nothing more than that you can ready, study and perform magic. Anyone in the Collegium can do that. But not all can achieve what you and your friend there did."

Weiss wanted to point out she didn't even know the other girl but thought better of it. "What, stand still for hours on end? I'd think that's a fairly universal skill as well." Her eyes widened suddenly. "I-I mean no disrespect, Lady Arcanist."

"You are upset after the trial. Your outburst is forgiven." Weiss sagged in relief. "And to answer your question, the test was not of your ability to stand in place, but the strength of your will. It was a test of how dedicated you can be unto a certain task, how focused your mind is. Others chattered or fidgeted, let their minds and attention wander, or tried to amuse themselves in idle thoughts and curiosity. They call themselves Arcanists, but they lack the discipline to keep their minds on the task at hand."

"Others gave up when the task proved too difficult," she went on. "They backed out, surrendered, gave up. However you want to say it, they lacked the will to see it through to the end."

"You made it seem impossible…"

"We did," Glynda said. "And that was no accident. Ours is a task that feels at times impossible. Our duty is unending, our work constant. Every victory we achieve is tainted by the knowledge that we have at best _stalled_ disaster, not prevented it. We need Initiates who can stand firm despite that, who can remain dedicated even when it feels as though the world itself is working against us."

"Then the way to pass wasn't to last…?"

"No. Defeat was inevitable. Your body would fail eventually." Glynda's smile grew proud as she looked over Weiss and the other girl. "What we seek are those willing to face defeat unflinchingly. Those who will not give up, even at the threat of excruciating agony."

That explained the offensive spells to finish them off, and they were probably also a threat to intimidate away the weaker aspirants. Intimidation. They'd been attacked and suppressed from every angle, their bodies driven to exhaustion not as a test to them but to see what decision they would make on the verge of collapse.

It was flattering despite how disgusted she was. Weiss couldn't help it. She had stood and passed with a single other out of what had been almost a hundred aspirants, many of whom were older and more experienced than she. Further proof that noble blood didn't mean anything. A Schnee had succeeded where ancient lineages failed.

None of that entirely removed the sense of gloom that hung over her. She'd been excited to join the White and prove to Ruby that she was worthy of being her equal. Ruby, a noble, had accepted her from the start, and she wanted so badly to show she was worthy of that sentiment. This was nothing like what Ruby spoke of, however. Ruby had been bursting with excitement at her success, visibly in love with her Arcana.

Weiss felt sick. Sick and afraid.

"We can make your body stronger in time." Arcanist Goodwitch either didn't notice or didn't care. "Physical strength can be trained. Magic can be taught. Experience can be learned. All those things the other Arcana would test you on can be won in time, but your mind – your determination – is set in stone. We accept only the best into our halls, and with good reason." The woman stepped back and gestured to the closest door. "Come with me."

Weiss looked down at her sheets. "Now…?"

"You are alive, are you not? I know you can handle a little pain, Initiate. I've already seen it."

A little pain didn't even begin to describe it! Weiss groaned and swung her legs out the bed, stepping down into slippers that had been left for her. Immediately, her calf muscles locked up and turned to brittle chunks of wood. She had to catch herself on the bed and stand for a few seconds, easing her feet up and down until her legs came back under control.

Even then, they ached. Hot and heavy and tight in a way she wasn't used to, like she'd been forced to run with the Newbloods. Ruby might be capable of that but not her!

Goodwitch waited patiently, smiling the whole time as though she were enjoying some subtle joke. Weiss hoped it wasn't at her expense but followed regardless, knowing she had little choice. They stepped out of what she'd assumed to be an infirmary and into a wide hallway with white marble walls, silver statues and rich purple curtains. It was the kind of décor she was used to seeing in the wealthiest of mansions and wouldn't have looked out of place in the royal palace itself.

"The White Arcana stands as guardians of our way of life," Goodwitch began. "Where others indulge their curiosity or their passion to create objects, spells, seek secrets or master the applications of combat, we stand above and protect them and their freedoms. Without us, there would be no Collegium. Without us, there would be no Arcanists."

"Isn't that…" Weiss trailed off.

"Arrogant? I wouldn't fault you thinking it. The other Arcana and the Collegium as a whole aren't fully aware of how important our actions are, and we prefer it that way. What is the point of protecting the peace if people must live in fear? We do our work quietly where possible, the better to protect the lifestyle of the Collegium. Make no mistake, however. The White Arcana is the most important Arcana among all."

A large wooden door with gold symbols on barred their path. Two Arcanists in white stood on either side but parted for their approach. Miss Goodwitch touched the door and whispered something. White lines grew out from her hand, spiralling along patterns in the shape of the Arcanum of Vale, before the door creaked open.

"What you are about to see must remain secret," she said.

The door opened to a staircase leading down underground. It wasn't dark however, the walls lit with glowing stones that pulsed warm light and lit every corner. Grandiose pillars kept the ceiling from collapsing inward, making it reminiscent of a treasure vault. As the doors closed behind them, the lights grew stronger, adapting and changing so that no illumination was lost.

On either side of the tunnel hung paintings of regal and powerful looking men and women, beneath which were gold or bronze plaques with names etched in.

"Former Grand Arcanists," Glynda explained. "Rulers of the Collegium. Each one of them from the Collegium's founding until now have been of the White."

"All of them!?"

"Every single one." She gestured and they made their way deeper, Weiss looking over the paintings. "That is no accident either; the same holds true for all Collegiums from Atlas to Mistral, Vacuo to the one that once stood in Menagerie. They are all of the White, for we are the ones who founded the Collegiums, and we are the ones who continue to protect them." On reaching the end, the tunnel expanded out into a wide chamber, but not without a final painting. "And our current Grand Arcanist, Ozpin."

_It could be a coincidence,_ she thought. Grand Arcanists could have four gems which meant plenty of combinations which just so happened to include white, but then it also meant plenty that didn't. Was the white a political Arcana? There were groups like that in noble politics, banding together to better increase their own odds of being placed into high positions.

The chamber she was brought to was wide and shallow, the ceiling only about two or three feet above her, and she was short already. Bookcases lined the outer edge, while in the middle a single book stood upon an ornate pedestal, as obviously important as the room was ostentatious. Even the pedestal was on a raised platform, steps leading up to it from every angle, set in a circle.

"Do you remember what it is you were told about the White during the fayre?"

"That the White protect Arcanists and uphold the law," she recited. "They work to keep the Collegium running."

"Yes. That was the truth, but not all of it. Tell me, what would you say is the place of Arcanists in the city? How do the people perceive us?"

Weiss thought for a second, thinking back to when she hadn't known she had the spark and had only ever seen them from a distance. "They're respected. Admired. There are some who find them mysterious and grumble about how much power they have, but it's always just jealousy. Everyone knows Arcanists serve the city."

"We are respected," Glynda said. "Admired. It was not always so."

It had been for as long as Weiss could remember, and as long as the books she'd read about the subject went back, which was no small amount! Arcanists had been a part of life in Vale for hundreds, if not thousands, of years.

"Would the people respect us if they could see how we are day by day? Think for a moment of what you've witnessed first-hand. Arrogant scions. Petty arguments. Children lashing out with power that could kill. Arcanists unable to let go of their noble roots."

Malneux was a prime example, but not the only one. There was Ruby too – for as sweet as she could be, she had a vicious streak and wasn't afraid to let it show. And she was childish. Weiss wondered for a moment what the average person would think if they saw those two fighting and realised they had power the likes of which could determine if people lived or died.

Though some might accept that they were young and flawed, she knew not all would. Some people would feel angry or even afraid, wondering just how dangerous those with magic might be. A temper tantrum away from a village burned down.

"The Collegium stands not only as an institution for learning, but a cage for those unprepared to face everyday life. It is a place of safety, where children can be children without having to worry about their actions influencing how people view our kind. It is a bastion for those unprepared to act in a way that befits all Arcanists, for they remain here their lives if they so wish. Some do," she added faintly, though Weiss balked at the thought.

The Collegium was everything she'd ever dreamed of, but to spend her whole life trapped in it? That was too much!

"You said a cage…?"

"Yes. Gilded as it may be and however I might make it sound, we designed the Collegium's walls not with the purpose of keeping people out, but to keep Arcanists in."

"T-Then it's a prison?"

"Think of it more as a correctional facility. You were forced into schooling when you were young. Would you call that a prison?"

No, though some kids had certainly acted that way. The difference was that she got to go home at the end of it, usually hiding tears at all the horrid things the noble children had called her. There, Jacques would take her upon his knee and talk about how jealous they were, how afraid they were of her coming in and being _better_ than they. Of showing them up because she was a Schnee, and the Schnee were perfect in every way. Still, this was far different despite what Arcanist Goodwitch might say. A prison was a prison.

"And what do you teach?" she asked.

"How to control your power. How to not let your power control you. The Collegium enforces the minimum of a gemstone to wander within the city, and not without good reason. That is a standard by which we can expect magic to not go out of your control and harm innocent people."

_It's a good reason,_ she thought. Even learning as much as she had, some still eluded her, and it wasn't uncommon to soak herself. Arcanist Oobleck's point about using water instead of fire for that very reason remained poignant, but she could imagine some people forgetting and burning down a house by accident. That would be their fault of course. Surely no one would blame _all Arcanists_ for the mistake of one.

"Another thing is how to act," the older woman went on. "How to be respectable. How not to embarrass the Collegium. We also set rules and laws by which all Arcanists are judged. We enforce these because we are the only ones who can. The average city guard cannot hope to hold or punish someone with our powers. If we do not put the foot down, who will?"

People in general. Consciences existed for a reason and anyone could pick up a knife and stab someone, yet the city managed to remain free of mass murder. Weiss wasn't saying that would yield her any reward however, and so went with the next best option.

"The King? He could make the army attack any Arcanists who broke the law."

"He might try. We hunt down Rogue Arcanists so that the city does not have to. We protect them from reckless children wielding power they do not understand so they don't have to become victims to it. We lock Arcanists away until they are wise enough to control and contain their power so that not every child with the gift must suffer for the actions of the few. It is a harsh task we are left with, both to clean up the mistakes that slip through and to look after those who take the right path, but it is a task we accept because we know that without us, Remnant would fall to ruin." Her eyes hardened. "As it once did."

Weiss' breath caught. "Once…?"

"Come." Goodwitch stepped up onto the pedestal and laid a hand on the book's cover, then motioned for her. "This is the true history of the founding of the Collegium of Vale, the first Collegium on Remnant, though certainly not the last. Come and read for yourself just why we must lock ourselves away for the betterment of all."

/-/

Growing up as a city gal gave Yang plenty of reason to be confident in the city itself, but all that went flying out the window in the outskirts. Even at its shittest, the slums still managed to be more hospitable, if only because you knew there were people around to hear you scream. Sure, they'd ignore you half the time, but they were there.

"I don't like this…"

Blake looked back from ten or so paces ahead, pushing a branch out her way as she picked her way through the forest with the kind of grace Ruby showed on the rooftops. "Which part exactly?" she asked. "The silence or the possibility of Grimm?"

"Yes."

Yellow eyes rolled. "I'm not exactly thrilled about this either, but we need to see if the Grimm are active."

"I've never even _seen_ a Grimm. Have you?"

"Considering they destroyed my home…?"

"Ah." Yang winced and wished the ground would swallow her whole. "Yeah. Sorry. So… They not as scary as people make them out to be? I guess the imagination makes it worse, right?"

"No." Blake looked ahead. "They're so much worse. The stories make them out to be single monsters who are huge with red eyes and sharp teeth – and they're right – but that doesn't do the Grimm justice. The scariest thing isn't how strong they are on their own. It's how they work together. They look and act like they're mindless, but they move in packs, fighting and attacking in a huge mass of black that can sweep over any defence. One Grimm is enough to rip a grown man in two, but ten or a hundred at once? There's no stopping them. Nothing you can do but lay down and die…" Blake turned around suddenly and noticed Yang stood rooted to the spot, face ashen and sweat running down her face. "Oh. Sorry. Didn't mean to panic you."

"F-Fuck you. And why again did you bring me out here if I'm so useless?"

"You're not useless if you have eyes, and I can probably deal with a single Grimm."

Probably? What did probably mean? Yang swallowed and tried to push her terror back without much success. The shadows cast by the trees seemed to chase them as they moved, washing over their faces and making her twitch and look behind, expecting to see a huge monster blocking out the sun. Every crunch of leaves underfoot made her tense up, while the occasional crack of a broken twig made her heart jump up her throat.

She was a city gal, which meant she shouldn't be out in the middle of this place. Ruby might have gotten away with it once but even once was one time too many. _And she said she saw red eyes. Oh fuck, what if that really was a Grimm?_

No. Logic said no. if Grimm were as deadly as Blake said, they wouldn't look at Ruby and not do anything. They'd try and kill her as well.

They'd long since passed the point at which the desperate tried to make a living out here. Those people lived as close to the edge as they could to keep some vestige of civilisation. The crude hovels or shelters set up at the entrances of caves and trees hadn't been much but the people there ate better than she and Ruby did. Game wasn't sparse in the area. They'd passed numerous squirrels and rabbits already, and she was sure she'd seen a deer at one point. Birds were also chirping away above, which calmed her down a little.

"Least the birds are still here."

"Is that a good sign?" Blake asked.

"Sure. Animals go quiet when there's a predator around."

Blake shook her head. "Grimm don't hunt animals."

Great. Take away any comfort she might find. That was fine. Yang jogged to catch up with the Arcanist, walking close behind, close enough to be protected if shit went wrong, she hoped. _Can't believe I agreed to help her with this. I should have told her to stuff it. Agh! This is the worst!_

Give her someone refusing to pay protection money or a drunk trying to beat her with a rock in an alley and she'd be alright. Give her a gang war. Those, she could fight her way through.

"If they don't hunt animals and don't eat then they don't shit either," Yang pointed out. "So what exactly are we looking for? If you tell me we're literally going to have to see these things to prove they're here, I'm turning around and going home right now."

"We're not looking for them. And they still leave tracks. They're big. Bigger than any other animal."

Big enough that tracks ought to be obvious then. Yang hadn't ever hunted animals, but Summer had. Or, if Blake was to be believed, she'd been using her magic to do so. She still wasn't sure she believed that crock. Summer hadn't ever shown off any magic and she'd been living in squalor with them. If she had that kind of power, why not improve their lives a little? Maybe magic was hereditary, but it could have been someone way back in either of their lines that gave Ruby her power.

Either way, Summer never taught her to hunt, but she could make a few guesses for big beasts. They'd have to leave big tracks. Broken branches, squashes bushes and the like. Obvious things that they hadn't really come across so far. Yang checked a tree as they walked by, looking for any scratch marks that might be too much for normal. There were a couple near the base, but it looked knee height. Probably a critter sharpening its claws.

"So, Grimm go after people but not all people, right?"

"It depends." Blake answered without stopping. "When they attacked Menagerie it was indiscriminate, but it's not always like that. Most of the time it's fifty-fifty. They might attack someone, but they might as easily not. There are theories of course, but they're just that. One thing is for sure, though. They like to target people with magic."

"Like you," Yang said glumly.

"Yes."

_I'm walking through the outskirts with literal Grimm bait. _No one could describe a worse day in her mind, except for the floods and even that was something you got used to! "But if they go for Arcanists then surely they can defend themselves."

"They can. Most of the time."

"Only most…?"

"We're still human. If the Grimm get the drop on us or we're sleeping or distracted, then it doesn't matter how strong you are. That's why you should stop talking and let me listen." As a hint, it worked a charm. Yang's lips sealed shut and didn't open again.

_I bet she thinks Summer died to a Grimm,_ she thought. The idea hurt more than she cared to admit, which was weird since she'd already gotten used to the idea her mom was dead, and it didn't really matter what did it.

In fact, a Grimm should have been better because it meant it took something that horrible to stop her coming home to them. It should have made it better, but it didn't. Dad had never been able to find the body. That might not mean much given how big the outskirts were, but it still ripped them apart at the time.

And then when dad died…

_No._ Yang shook her head. _Focus on the now or I'll be joining them and leaving Ruby on her own!_

"I think I've found something," Blake said, kneeling by a tree. Her hand brushed some leaves aside. What it might be, Yang didn't know, but she hovered nearby more for her own safety than any real interest. "There's dried blood here."

Yang tensed. "Animal's?"

"Not unless animals wear linen cloth. Someone was attacked, had their arm ripped open and lost some material from their clothes while they were at it." Blake didn't notice Yang's panic. "It's recent. Week or two at best."

Okay. Recent but not _too_ recent, and not far back either. For a second, she'd had the horrible thought they'd find Summer's body, impossible as that sounded. She'd have been bones by now, no doubt buried underground after so many years. "Could be something else," she offered. "I've heard there are bandits and the like out here. Robbers who-"

"That's a lie."

"Hah?"

"The bandits," Blake explained. "We used the same lies to tell people to stay away from the mountains near us. Think about it, Yang. What would bandits possibly be doing here? Who would they be robbing, people who live in caves?"

Yang was speechless. It really didn't make sense, did it?

"They'd be near roads and trade routes, not scavengers living in the wild. The story helps people sleep easy, though. Anyone who dies out here gets blamed on the bandits and no one has to worry about monsters living so close they could roam into the farmland at any moment."

"S-Shouldn't we know about it though?"

"And do what, panic? Normal people are no hope against the Grimm. Better you not spend every night wondering if one will steal your children away. Besides, the Arcanists come clear them out. Or they should do. Ours did. It's probably the same here."

"Why so many secrets?"

"I don't know." Blake stood and dusted herself down. "I only know what I was taught, that it's important the people don't panic. Grimm are a Collegium problem and we do our best to make sure the normal folk don't have to worry about them. Making the Grimm into fairy tales is a part of that. It gets people used to the danger but without them realising just how bad it is. No one worries about the Beowolf hiding under the bed because it's made into a childish fear."

"Should they be?"

"No. The Grimm really are under control. Or…" Her expression hardened. "They used to be. Not anymore, not with Menagerie gone. Whatever happened there, I don't want it happening again here."

"Yeah. You and me both."

"Heads up," Blake said.

"Huh?" Yang followed Blake's attention and froze, rooted to the floor.

Red eyes watched from the trees.

/-/

"No!" Weiss staggered back, eyes wide, mouth open. "No, this can't be right! This can't be true!"

"It is. I'm afraid it is. Like anyone with power, Arcanists have the potential for much good – but also ill. Not everyone is as upstanding as you or me, and back then there were few with the power to hold our kind accountable. Arcanists – or Mages as they were called – ran amok. They killed, pillaged and waged petty war on one another for no other reason than because they believed their power granted them some degree of uniqueness. That they were chosen by the gods or blessed in some way, that they stood _above_ their fellow man. Power corrupts. We have seen that all too often."

"B-But this is too much. You're saying we almost brought about the end of the world!?" Weiss shook her head, hair flying. "That's insane. This has to be an exaggeration!"

"Do you believe it so? Do you truly believe that without our laws, without our order, powerful Arcanists would be content to serve under weaker people? Do you imagine no one would try and use their power to steal the throne?"

They would. It was undeniable. Her father was just like that, but thankfully without the spark. It came from her mother's line; from the noble line he'd married into. Jacques was an ambitious man but also not a fool. He knew what he could and couldn't do, and so would not risk himself unduly. But if he had that kind of power?

_I don't know how far he'd go if he knew there was no one to stop him._

And Jacques Schnee was hardly the only one. Ambitious and petty nobles were a lien a dozen. It was harder to find the honest ones! Assuming they all had the spark within them, that was a vast array of potential dictators just waiting to forge alliances, backstab one another and tip Vale into civil war.

Kept back by the Collegium. By the fact that children with the spark were all but stolen away and locked within its walls, trained to respect and control their power and to show loyalty to the Collegium first, their families second.

It was manipulative and it was that was on purpose, designed by the White to turn people into good Arcanists who would follow the laws or, at the very least, fear the consequences of not doing so enough that they would stay out of trouble.

"It is all a clever balancing act," Glynda said. "If one part of the Collegium falls, it all collapses, and then we descend into anarchy once more. These books all detail that time, the time of chaos where Mages waged war on one another in their pursuit for power."

"They crafted weapons of untold power," she continued. "Spells that could destroy cities; swords that could sweep away armies; elixirs that could sway the mind or enthral the innocent. The Mage Wars didn't end because of our intervention, Initiate. They ended because the Mages all but destroyed one another and those that remained were forced to band together or perish against a far greater threat. The threat of the Grimm."

"And those were the first of the White Arcana?"

"Yes. The survivors of a terrible age and the founders of the Collegiums of Magic. Our work is not only to preserve our way of life, but to prevent the chaos from returning. To do this we not only hunt down those who would stray, but the remnants of this time. The weapons created by petty Mages seeking to slaughter one another."

"You mentioned the Grimm. They're… They're weapons…?"

Who would make those beasts intentionally? They were evil beings. Weiss had never seen one but even that small story of Ruby's encounter in the Azure Archives was enough to impart that knowledge on her. Evil and murderous things.

"No one knows the name of the one who created them, or whether it was intentional or a last act of spite as their life crumbled to dust around them. Whatever the case, they were the finest of all these weapons." Glynda sneered as the said finest, making her opinion clear. "Hunters of those with the spark, killers of mages and Arcanists alike. They exist for one purpose and one purpose only, to eradicate anyone who has the spark of magic within them."

"The Grimm are after the Collegiums…"

"They are. They are drawn to Arcanist blood, and because we have banded together, they are drawn to our Collegiums, our cities and our people. They may even have killed their creator. It wouldn't surprise me. It is the duty of the White to hunt them down, and a duty you, Weiss Schnee, may now choose to carry upon your own shoulders."

Weiss pulled back, almost hysterically. "You're giving me a choice? After telling me all this…?"

"I am." Glynda turned and picked a small vial off a bookshelf. "This is another of the weapons created in that time. One we have preserved and turned to our own use. A potion to destroy the mind. Worry not," she said as Weiss backed away. "It has been diluted and carefully researched. It erases time now, or memories. With but a few drops I can remove the last few hours. Your last thought would be of being struck down in your trial. You would awake anew, and I would regretfully inform you that you failed to pass the Trial of Will."

A chance to back out and never know any of this, to pretend it never happened. Suddenly, the `Trial of Will` made a lot more sense. It wasn't over, she realised. This was a part of the trial. If she could not accept the truth and swear herself to it, she didn't have the will to join the White.

_Do I even want to? This is too much. The trial was horrible, their work is dangerous and the things I've learned are already terrifying. There's probably so much more._

Combined with the promise of a never-ending battle and the constant threat of defeat, the work sounded thankless. The stress alone would break the average person. Why would she ever accept this? Why put herself through so much pain?

"Why?" she asked the older woman. "Why did you join?"

Glynda Goodwitch smiled faintly. "Because someone has to do something. Because if everyone closes their eyes to the truth and refuses to act, our world will come crashing down. Because I have those I love whom I want to live peaceful lives, even if that means I myself cannot."

Weiss stared at the vial. Did she have those things? Some, perhaps, but not all. She had her place in the Collegium, she had her family and she had Ruby – her first real friend, and something she couldn't bear to lose. Ruby had no idea about the Grimm, but the memory of her roommate's pale face when she spoke about it remained with her. Even then, she hadn't really understood why it wanted to kill her.

If Ruby died then, Weiss wasn't sure how she'd cope. And it wasn't just Ruby anymore, was it? There was Coco in some small way, even Jaune as Ruby's illicit lover and that rapscallion Sun wasn't so much a boor as she'd first thought. They were all friends in some strange way, friends that had no idea their lives were in such danger. Friends that she could protect.

"I accept." The words tumbled out. "I'll join the White."

* * *

**Oh Weiss, and in wanting to protect Ruby, you've become one of the people tasked to hunt down and kill her. Well, not like anyone didn't see this coming I suppose.**

* * *

**Next Chapter: 26****th**** April**

**P a treon . com (slash) Coeur **


	38. Chapter 38

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**Cover Art:** Z-ComiX

**Chapter 38**

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The white robes were heavy, not only because of how exhausted Weiss was, but with the responsibility she accepted by wearing them. The satisfaction she'd expected to feel was absent, leaving her only with a curious sense of dread. Where Ruby rejoiced at joining the Azure, Weiss felt only grim determination.

That felt fitting.

The redhead was with them now, having woken up and been given the same tour she had – and presumably having accepted the same responsibility if she was here. Weiss paid her only the minimum attention, too busy lost in thought on what she'd been told. The world of the Arcanists was so much vaster than she'd ever realised. More than many ever did.

_The secrecy prevents panic. If people knew what we'd almost brought the world to once, they wouldn't be so willing to let us live among them, let alone with such influence._ The people would turn on them, and since the bloodline was mixed strongly among the nobility, it would be even worse. Civil war was a possibility. Riots would be an inevitability.

"You are both Initiates of the White despite any ranks you may have held before," Glynda said. "The White is unlike any other Arcana. We care little for what you have learned before or how important you may believe you are. Your role here is to serve in the defence of all Collegiums. Nothing more."

"I get that," Weiss said. "We all know we have to let our noble ties go."

"I believe she was referring to me," the redhead said with a wry smile. "And forgive me if it seems that way. I hold no expectations as to my position here, Lady Goodwitch. I am, as you say, an Initiate to the White."

Weiss narrowed her eyes on the redhead, trying to place her. The suggestion of position made her think for a second she might be royalty, someone so important she might feel she had the right to make demands, but her father had instilled in her head the names and ranks of every noble in line to the crown. All sixty-four of them. That had been with the goal of her perhaps wooing and marrying one. This girl did not match any in her head.

Red hair, pale skin and green eyes. She was tall and attractive but looked to be about her age. The hair stood out for sure, but she could have been anyone. "Ahem." Weiss coughed and extended a hand. "I am Weiss Schnee. It's a pleasure to meet you."

"Pyrrha Nikos, and likewise."

Nikos. Nikos. The name was familiar. "Is your family among the Royal Guard?"

"My sister, Helena, is," Pyrrha said. "I think yours is as well. Winter, was it?"

"That's right." Always proud of her elder sister, Weiss smiled at the recognition. Maybe that was where the name rang familiar. Winter may have introduced Pyrrha's sister to her once when she was younger. The position was a lofty and respected one, but it didn't elevate the Nikos family any more than it did the Schnee. As far as she could tell, the Nikos were just another noble family.

"We do not differentiate between Arcanist and Initiate here," Glynda said. "All serve equally."

Arcanist and Initiate…? Weiss' eyes trailed down Pyrrha's face to her neck and below, to the silver broach of Vale which contained _a single red gem!_ Weiss' jaw dropped. "You're an Arcanist!?"

"Why yes," Pyrrha said happily. "I am."

"I-I'm sorry!" Oh, the humiliation. "L-Lady Nikos, Arcanist Nikos, I didn't mean to speak so-"

"I believe we're both Initiates to the White, Weiss, as Arcanist Goodwitch said. It hardly matters what I am now."

"I had heard of your humility," Glynda said. "I'm pleased to see I've heard correctly. The two of you will be taught and tested together, so it behoves you to work together as equals. In all ways that matter, you are. Individual strength or skill matters little here. Knowledge is power, and we act as guardians of it. Compared to any of the White, you are rank amateurs."

Weiss barely heard. This girl was a fully-fledged Arcanist at her age!? Even if she was older, and Weiss wasn't convinced there, she wasn't _much_ older. A year or two at best, which still painted a picture far beyond what she could ever hope to match.

_And the Crimson,_ she thought. _That would make her a powerful combatant and skilled fighter. I can't believe someone so young could be so strong._ It didn't cross her mind for a second it might be a mistake. Glynda referred to and knew of her, which implied a level of familiarity. Or worse, fame. And why not? If she had really become an Arcanist at the age most were only starting, she should certainly be a well-known figure within the Collegium.

"I look forward to working with you, Weiss," the young Arcanist said.

"A-Ah. Yes. Likewise."

"You will not be learning anything today," Glynda said. "You need time to digest what you have learned. Return tomorrow after dinner. Initiates are taught lessons between five and six, followed by training from six until seventh hour."

Weiss made a mental note of the times.

"What shall we be learning?" Pyrrha asked.

"History first, and then practical application after. To fight in defence of our way of life requires us first to understand what threatens it and why. The weapons of the White are far greater than just spells and Arcanists. We have the Sanctum, the Huntsmen and so much more." Only one of those words was recognisable to Weiss. "You shall learn more of this tomorrow. Understand that specific spells are not something we will teach you."

"None at all?" Weiss asked, frustrated.

"There may be some in time, but our goals eclipse our methods. Any means to fulfil our duty is not only accepted but expected. You may learn in your own time, either in the general libraries or from other Arcanists. We do not waste our time teaching spells when there is important work to be done. For your, Miss Schnee, I would suggest investing in some combat-related spells, and soon. You will be sparring with Miss Nikos after all."

Sparring with a graduated Crimson Arcanist? They might as well let her smash her own face into the wall right now! There was no smile on Glynda's face, however. She was deadly serious. _I'm going to be destroyed. Maybe Ruby can help me find something._

"One final thing," the Arcanist said. "All that you have learned here must remain secret. You know this already, but you know not the consequences of failure. For any who would spread the secrets of the White, their life is forfeit. I do not say this to intimidate you, only as warning. Our appointed task is greater than any other. So, too, are the consequences of failing it."

So much so that they might kill them. Weiss wanted to say that was unfair and draconian, but knowing what she did now…? If the White were removed, the people of Vale would revolt against the Arcanists, and they would be forced to defend themselves in kind.

It would be a massacre of untold proportions.

"Wouldn't it be better if everyone knew?" Pyrrha asked. "Or every Arcanist at least, so they'd know why the rules are in place."

Weiss had been thinking the same thing and was grateful Pyrrha had the courage to ask it. After just being threatened with death, she didn't think she could have done the same.

"In an ideal world perhaps, but this is not that world. There are those who cannot stomach the truth, those who would not believe it and yet more who would see a return to the ways of old as being attractive. What's more, there are many who have been punished for breaking these rules. Rules that, some may argue, do not account for true guilt." Glynda shook her head sadly. "Unfortunately, not everyone can see the necessity of what we do, or the sacrifices we make."

"Not guilty?" Weiss dared to ask.

"Rogue Arcanists who have erred by mistake," Glynda explained. "Or those raised outside Collegiums by hermetical Arcanists."

"Wouldn't it be better to just re-educate them here?"

"Yes. And we do that if they are young enough to forget what they've learned before, but not all are. Those that are found as adults or teenagers are already too set in their ways. The wrong ways."

"A-And so they're killed?" Weiss whispered.

"If they fight back. We prefer the Sanctum. Do not think for a moment of fairness, Initiate Schnee. The lives of the man depend on our swift intervention. Sympathy has little place in what we do. What we _must_ do."

"But what if they don't mean to do wrong?" Pyrrha asked.

"How could we confirm that? How could we ensure it? Could we few who know the truth knowingly place the future of every Arcanist on Remnant in danger just to satisfy our thirst for the moral high ground? Could we look ourselves in the mirror if we did that and it all fell to dust around us? The risk is simply too high. The White does not take risks, Initiates. It cannot afford to."

"Presumed guilty until proven innocent?"

"No. Proven guilty. No innocence. Intent or motivation have no part in our work. You are, or you aren't. An Arcanist is either a loyal and good member of our community, or they are the enemy. Some exceptions are made. We have an Initiate this year who might have been considered rogue as her Collegium fell and she survived, leaving her Collegium without a gemstone. An act punishable by the Sanctum."

Ruby. She meant Ruby. Weiss tensed, hands clenching into fists.

"An exception was made for her." Glynda either did not notice or didn't care to see Weiss sigh and sag a little. "Those are rare exceptions, however. A fortunate case and an Initiate who knew better than to strike out alone. Even then, she is being monitored."

She was? When? Coco? The Warden was unusually friendly with them, but she'd assumed it was genuine friendship. What if it wasn't? Weiss found herself unsure what that might mean or what she was supposed to do. The temptation to tell Ruby and suggest they stay away from Coco was there, but there was also the chance it wasn't her at all.

What if it was Jaune? Ruby would be heartbroken.

"You see now a glimpse of the duty that befalls us," Glynda said. "It is not a kind task, nor one we enjoy. Take solace in knowing what we do, we do for the right reasons. It is imperative that every risk be minimised, that every possibility is considered and adapted to. Our greatest strength is in organisation, in control. That is why the White has been so successful, and why we accept only those who can pass the Trial of Will."

Because if they could accept that kind of punishment themselves, they might have the strength to deliver it without flinching. Weiss bit the inside of her cheek, wondering not for the first time if accepting the serum and forgetting all of this might not have been the better choice.

"Any more questions?" She waited for a moment and continued when both she and Pyrrha were silent, lost in thought. "Very good. Both of you, good evening, and congratulations on joining the White. It is not an easy path you have chosen, but you will look back on this moment pride."

_I can only hope so,_ Weiss thought.

/-/

"You passed your trial!?"

Ruby wasn't sure how to react to Weiss returning garbed in white. She ought to be happy her friend passed, surely, but her stomach flipped and flopped. The White were her enemies, her pursuers, and now her first friend was among them. More than that, Weiss hardly looked happy about it herself, walking into their dorm with her eyes on the floor and barely noticing her.

"Weiss…?"

"Oh. What was that?" Weiss looked up, eyes dull. "I was lost in thought."

"I said congratulations on passing your trial," she lied.

"Yes. I… Yes. Thank you." The smile the white-haired girl forced was painfully frail. "I told you I would, did I not? It wouldn't do for you to join your Arcana and leave me behind. I had no trouble whatsoever. In fact, the whole thing was rather simple."

"What did you do…?"

"Nothing overly taxing. Some simple questions. An exam. Of sorts…" Weiss moved to her bed and sat down far too heavily. The mattress flexed and the legs creaked under her, even before she lazily used her toes to force her shoes off. They fell at the side of her bed, haphazard and messy.

Ruby's were neatly by the door – as Weiss insisted their shoes be kept every day!

"Are you sure you're okay?"

"I said I was fine, didn't I?"

"Yeah." Ruby watched awkwardly. "It's just… You don't _look_ fine. You can talk to me if you want. I'll listen. We're friends, aren't we?"

"Of course we are! I'm…" Weiss sighed. "It's Arcana business, Ruby. I can't tell you some things just as you can't tell me the secrets of yours. It's just a lot to take in. I'm tired mentally and need to rest. I hope you'll forgive if that sounds rude."

It didn't. It sounded overly polite, and that was concerning already! Weiss was polite, sure, but not around her in private. Whenever they were alone, she became more critical, losing her temper and quick to anger. This wasn't like her at all, but she couldn't deny Weiss might just be tired. The Azure hadn't demanded anything of her but not every Arcana would be like that. The trial, whatever it was, might have involved a lot of studying.

Even if it didn't, she couldn't push.

"Well. Okay. If you say you're alright. But you know you can talk to me if you want to?"

"I know, Ruby. And thank you. I'll be back to normal come morning. Perhaps we can study together, just the two of us."

She had to meet with Nora and get Ren to agree to a date with her, but Weiss came first, at least like this. "Yeah, sure. After breakfast?"

Weiss managed a tiny smile. "Naturally. I wouldn't dare get between you and food."

"Good. I'm a growing girl!"

"Yes. Outward." Weiss chuckled to herself, and even if it sounded tired, it was at least not fake. "We can talk more in the morning. I'm too tired right now." Rolling over, she said, "Goodnight Ruby."

"Goodnight Weiss…"

/-/

"Stay calm."

Calm? Yang wanted to burst out laughing but the situation didn't really call for it. Sure. Calm. There were bright red eyes watching her hungrily from the trees in a forest apparently filled with Grimm that hunted down Arcanists like the one she had stood right next to her. Yeah. Calm. That sounded doable. Not.

"I-Is that…?"

Snapping twigs and a split log cracking under the paw of a monstrous creature pulling itself from the trees answered that question for her. It looked like a cross between a wolf and a bear, lupine in appearance and shape but walking on its hind legs, using strong, clawed paws to grip the trees nearby and pull itself through. Seven feet tall, ripped with black muscle and with its shoulders and face plated in whitish bone, the thing looked as though a huge man had fallen in a pit of tar, then rolled around in a graveyard.

The hind legs looked powerful enough to give chase, and if it fell to all fours its stride would be great enough to catch up regardless of its pace. The knife her hand was clasped around felt all too small in comparison to it. Would it even pierce deep enough?

"Stay away from it," Blake said, oddly calm. "It's drawn to Arcanists. It should focus on me."

"A-And can you kill it?"

"Yes." Quiet, but not so quiet that she couldn't hear it, Blake whispered, "At least I think I can…"

Inspiring. Utterly inspiring. If she died here, she was going to haunt that stupid bitch for life! Assuming Blake survived as well, that was. The Grimm had sighed them now and was lumbering toward them, its every step causing the ground to shake. Wild animals didn't move like that. They chased, darted and lunged. They didn't pace toward their foe.

A thin swirl of dark mist began to pool around Blake's feet, coiling up her legs unnaturally. The Grimm stiffened, snorted at the air and lowered its snout in her direction. Its eyes seemed to brighten for a moment.

In answer, Blake stepped calmly to the left, behind a thin tree not inches across.

And failed to come out the other side. Her body slowly vanished behind it despite that it was the width of Yang's leg at best. After two seconds, she was gone entirely. It was just Yang and the monster.

_Blake, you fucking son of a whore…_

The Grimm roared and rose up. Yang went stiff, legs refusing to run, but it didn't lunge for her. It shifted in the air instead, rearing back and slamming both paws down toward its own shadow. A second before it struck the forest floor, a black shape darted out from it, Blake backpedalling quickly, ducking under a wide sweep that would have shorn her head from her shoulders.

Growling, it tried to give chase, only to yank back as a black and wispy chain connected its own shadow to the single paw that had touched it. The chain links didn't rattle or make a sound, nor did they look entirely real. They were misty and indistinct around the ages, but clearly strong if they could hold it back.

If.

The Grimm snapped down with its mighty jaws, closing its teeth around the black chains and _wrenching_ its head back. They snapped with an explosion of mist, the links dangling from its jaws with the ends coiling up like smoke. It munched and crunched, drawing the chains into its mouth and swallowing them by tossing its head back. Smoke the same colour as the chains began to waft from between its teeth.

Blake crouched low. "What the…?"

Slamming its paws down so that it was on all fours, the beast made to roar at Blake – only for black chains to shoot out its mouth instead of sound. The Arcanist was already rolling to the side as the chains struck and spared through two trees, splitting bark and wood with a sickening sound, spraying chips on Yang as she dove for cover.

"It's using your spells against you!"

"I can tell!" Blake yelled, running as the Grimm swept the chains left to right after her. "This never happened before!"

Throwing herself down, Blake let the chains streak by overhead then scrambled back to her knees. She trailed her fingers into and _through_ her own shadow, seeming to draw parts of it up off the ground. Blake moulded the shadow with the fingers of her other hand, squeezing them into thin darts which she threw at the beast's face.

Two bounced off its mask but one struck the thing's shoulder and dug deep. Deeper than something its size should. Not deep enough to inconvenience it. Grunting, it leaned down and licked at the wound, drawing the knife up like thin and gloopy porridge, devouring Blake's spell straight out its own body.

"It's eating your spells!" Yang shouted.

"I can tell! That's never been documented before!"

Nothing in your pissing Collegiums is documented, she wanted to scream. Not the reasons why Ruby was hunted, the knowledge about the Grimm or anything else! Why was _this_ coming as a surprise? The Grimm swallowed Blake's magic and hunched its shoulders. Yang was already behind a tree before the _thunk-thunk-think_ of shadowy knives impacted the other side.

These things not only wanted Arcanists dead but could steal and use their spells against them. That was the kind of thing she'd have liked to be warned about, and the kind of thing she'd have thought Blake would know seeing as Menagerie fell to the damned things!

"I thought you said you could kill it!"

"I'm working on it!" Blake shouted back. "I don't see _you_ helping."

"Because you just got finished telling me how useless I'd be!"

"And I was right!" Blake dove away as the tree she was hiding behind was ripped in two. The Grimm had found her, not that it was hard with her shouting at the top of her lungs. It tried to catch her by falling onto all fours atop her, but she slipped away, drawing out a shortsword not eight inches long and slashing at a tendon.

Blood spilled out and muscle ripped. Yang cheered, expecting the thing to fall, only to gulp as it didn't even react, not to the pain or the fact it only had three functioning limbs. The Grimm simply slammed its good paw into Blake's stomach, lifting the Arcanist up and sending her smacking into a nearby tree with a horrible crunch. The sword went flying and she slumped to the base with a pitiful groan.

_Get up. Get up, damn it! _

The smug-ass Arcanist wasn't moving. Yang swore and lurched out from cover, ignoring her dagger entirely and stooping for a heavy branch instead. Her heart was in her throat as she ran forward and tried to scream a battle cry. It came out a raspy croak, but the wood still smacked down on the monster's head, cracking over its skull.

Unbothered by the assault, the Grimm swivelled its head toward her.

Flinching back, Yang reacted more on instinct than intent – drawing the now broken branch back and _stabbing_ it into one of the thing's eyes. _That_ found its home, sliding in with a sickening _squish_ and a spray of blood.

"Rarrrrghhhhh!"

The Grimm roared and lurched up, knocking her back with one meaty arm. It staggered on its hind legs, scraping at its face with its one good paw, snapping the branch in half but unable to remove it entirely. Collapsing back onto all fours, it glared balefully at her and opened its mouth, launching several blackened chains toward her. Yang fell back and under them, wincing as they tore through anything they touched.

How was she meant to deal with this on her own? Was this what Summer faced? If so, Yang could forgive her dying to it! The tales didn't do them justice. Not the size, the strength or the sheer resilience. Any normal animal would have fled by now, deciding its prey wasn't worth further injury. This Grimm fought like it didn't care if it lived or died.

_And so much for only caring about Arcanists. It sure wants me dead now!_

Bounding forward, the Grimm opened its jaws and lunged, ready to bear her down and rip off her head with one solid twist. With the size of those teeth, Yang was sure it wouldn't have any trouble. Her ass hit the floor, hands scrambling to pull her away as it raced in. The chains launched out, slamming into her legs and entangling around them before she could roll aside.

"Argh!" Yang ripped her knife out and stabbed but despite being made from shadow, the chains deflected her swing with ease. "D-Damn it!" As a last-ditch effort she hurled the knife at its face. It wasn't made for that and the throw was clumsy, not that it mattered. It hit the beast's bone mask blade first and bounced off anyway.

The Grimm growled around the chains reaching out its mouth and drew her in, dragging Yang across the forest floor like a fish on the end of a line. This was how she died? Reeled in and bit in two by a monster straight out the fairy tales?

"Damn it," she hissed, tears prickling. "Fuck off!"

The jaws reached down to bite into her legs.

Shadows moulded around the monster's neck. They coalesced into chains far thicker than the ones she'd seen before, yanking the head back before it could savage her. Linking down again to its own shadow, this time taut and tightening still, the chains drew back into the ground, disappearing into the Grimm's shadow and pulling it off her, peeling its body back by its neck, forcing it first onto its hind legs, then back until it tipped over.

Its chest expanded briefly, before a jagged spike of wood ruptured from it, caked with blood and gore, sharp points sticking up cherry red as the Grimm slid down the trunk. One of the very trees it had sheared in half with its chains. Blake stood behind, one hand to the floor and a shadow connecting a tree to its, grasping a chain in her hand. The Grimm slashed limply at the air for a few moments, before, after what felt like an impossible length of time, it stilled.

Before her stunned eyes, its body began to dissolve in the air, floating away on motes of dust.

_The hell just happened…?_

"You okay?" Blake offered a hand, face covered with sweat.

Yang slapped it away. "Am I okay? No! That thing – shit, Blake – I thought this was meant to be scouting? You said you could handle them! That wasn't handling! That – That was getting your ass handed to you and nearly _mine_ too!"

"It was harder than I expected, I'll admit." Blake sighed and drew her hand back. "Thank you for the save. You have my gratitude."

"And you have my absolute hate," she moaned, sagging back. "Gah. I thought I was dead. I'm done here. You hear me? Seeing one of those things was more than enough for me. I'm not dying out here when Ruby expects me-"

Blake's hand latched over her mouth. The Arcanist dropped over her, pinning her to the floor, her body between Yang's legs, one hand on her mouth and the other atop her head. Yang tensed, then tensed harder still when dark shadows wrapped up and around them.

"Don't move," Blake whispered. "Or we're _both_ dead."

Yang went still.

Both…?

Leaves and twigs were crunched to dust around them. One, two, a third – four, five and then a _sixth_ copy of the same Grimm they'd just killed stepped into their clearing, walking by the body of their fallen without a care in the world. Yang shrank in on herself, staring wide eyed past Blake's fingers. They'd barely managed to deal with one and now there were six Grimm.

The paws of one crunched down beside her head, so close she could smell the wet fur. It snorted and raised its head, sniffing at the air.

Looking for Blake? But there was magic all around them!

_Concealment spell? We're hidden from the Grimm?_ It was the only explanation for why they weren't smeared across the forest floor. The shadows kept pooling and washing over them like water, icy cold against her skin. _Just go away,_ she begged. _Walk away. Leave us. Go._

One of the Grimm nosed at the bloody remains of the tree that had killed the first. It growled and bit down, testing the wood with its teeth. Bark splintered and the trunk formed a giant crack down its side.

Suddenly, their heads rose. As one, the Grimm looked up and to the left, west, back in the direction of the city. Their bodies were tense and rigid. Without a sound, without a growl, they loped off in that direction, knocking trees aside and bounding into the outskirts. Within the space of ten seconds, they were alone again, Blake pushing her forehead down into Yang's neck. For once, the intimacy wasn't a problem. Hell, she was grateful for it, half tempted to hold onto Blake for comfort as well.

"W-We're done, right?" Yang stammered. "That's proof. We don't need more."

"Yes. Yes, we're done here. The Grimm are gathering."

Before, that and the fall of Menagerie had been nebulous concerns. Now, having seen one herself, it was a lot more terrifying. "How can you be sure?" she asked. "There was six, seven including the first, but that's not enough to take out a city."

"Seven that we saw – but the way they left. They've sensed an Arcanist." Blake pushed herself up but didn't stand. She fell back and sat on the grass, probably as jelly legged as Yang was.

"Is that why they sprinted off?"

"Yes. And that's the problem. The Collegium wouldn't be out here unless they had a reason to be. Seeing that many Grimm is bad but not proof there are more. But for the Collegium to be sending Arcanists out to cull their numbers? That's proof. They wouldn't do that for no reason, and they're just as aware as I am how dangerous the Grimm can be."

Yang swallowed. "Then you mean…?"

"The Grimm are gathering for an attack. And the Collegium knows it."

/-/

Crocea Mors swept up and under, cutting through the shoulder of a Grimm and severing it in a spray of ichor. Planting his foot down and stepping through the Grimm charging past him, he cut at the hind leg of a second, which fell with a startled and angry howl. It skidded in the dirt, continuing to try and crawl its way to the white cloaked figure standing further back.

"-and destroy all in my path!"

Bright light exploded out from the Arcanist and over the Grimm, burning the flesh of those closest and rushing toward him as well. Jaune turned into it, closing his eyes against the blinding light. His skin tingled, the air turning cold as ice. When he opened his eyes again, it was to see the leaves and twigs around, before and behind him burned to ash. Nothing was spared but for the exact patches of soil beneath his feet.

He remained untouched by the attack, thin trails of smoke raising from his bare arms.

Two of the Grimm had fallen but a third breached through, closing on the Arcanist who screamed and turned to flee.

"Don't run," Jaune called. "I'm here."

Training should have dictated the man listened, but instincts proved stronger. The Arcanist turned and fled, robes billowing around his legs. Jaune made to follow but it was already too late. The Grimm in pursuit was wounded and hamstrung, but no sooner had the Arcanist passed beyond his protection did another leap out from the treeline.

A giant maw closed over the man's head and shoulders, biting into skin and crunching deep. Bone snapped, likely his shoulder blade but quite possibly the spine as well. It didn't really matter. The Beowolf wrenched its head from side to side, lifting the poor Arcanist off his feet. The screams were brief, silenced when the man's body slammed into a tree and went still. The Beowolf brought its head up and down, smashing the doomed Arcanist down before placing a paw on his back and ripping its powerful head up.

The body tore in two, the Arcanist's head and shoulders ripped free. Death was, Jaune dispassionately hoped, something that had come a little sooner. It was hard to feel much more as he watched the Arcanist be devoured.

The White's training had slacked. Or perhaps that was his fault.

It was hard to remember.

Stepping back, he walked past the Beowolf he'd hamstrung. The beast was pawing at the ground to try and stand and didn't react to him, only to rattle out a gasp as he punched Crocea Mors through the side of its neck. It gurgled confusedly and tumbled onto its side. Drawing the blade free, he approached the one busy mutilating the Arcanist's body.

"I hope you haven't swallowed the Arcanum," he told the beast, his eyes lidded and dull. "That will make things complicated."

Killing it proved less so. The sword bit deep and into its chest, piercing its core. The Grimm stiffened and then fell forward, Jaune stepping out the way as it crashed down and began to dissolve. The severed head tumbled out its jaws, mangled and squashed beyond recognition.

Kneeling, he pushed the head aside with his bare hands, dipping his fingers into the gory remains of the man's chest cavity, uncaring of the blood all over his fingers. Peeling the raw meat aside, he caught a glimpse of silver and dug into it, pulling the Arcanum free. The monster's teeth had bitten into it, driving the metal into the man's body. The white gemstone was still in place, and the Arcanum would be proof enough of his demise.

Standing, Jaune looked about the forest. The outskirts, he reminded himself.

Stood beside the mauled body with Arcanum in hand, he waited.

And waited.

And waited.

The moon descended and the sun rose. The body had begun to smell, and some animals were already nosing around it, a wolf tearing at a chunk of meat while another sniffed at his left boot. A crow had landed on his shoulder at some point and was cawing angrily at the wolves.

The crow took flight suddenly, the wolves pulling their heads up, maws bloody, and bolting for the trees. The _crunch_ of leaves heralded the arrival of three figures, two Arcanists and a single white-haired man with a sword.

"Huntsman," the female Arcanist said. "Where is your Arcanist?"

Jaune looked down at the corpse by his feet. It had already been partially eaten.

"Goodness." The second Arcanist clutched his mouth and staggered away to vomit into a nearby bush. The scent _was_ rather bad, Jaune admitted. It had long since robbed him of his sense of smell.

"Grimm?" the other asked. At his confirming nod, she said, "Why are you standing out here?"

"I was instructed to guard him."

"Your orders were to guard him and, if he perishes, to return his Arcanum to the Collegium," the woman snapped. "Have you at least done that?" Had he? Were those his orders? Jaune hefted his hand to show the broach. The woman sighed. "Well, at least you remembered _half_ your orders. I'll have to report this."

Jaune felt a stirring of something. Worry, or a desire to argue he hadn't forgotten. That they were mistaken, and he'd just stood out here for six or seven hours because he wanted to, because the sunrise was nice, and he wanted to witness it.

Witness it stood beside the decaying body of a human being.

Blue eyes dropped to the body at his feet. For the first time in hours, he reacted, wincing and stepping away. His stomach rolled and he paced back, pinching a hand to his nose. A bloody hand. Loudly, he gagged.

"Still some life in you yet, I see. You might still be useful. Come on. Back to the Collegium and then the Sanctum."

"I promised to meet with a friend," he murmured.

"That's not my business, nor is it yours." The Arcanist shook his head, growling something about huntsmen under his breath. Likely how much he hated working with them. Almost every Arcanist did. Even the Initiates who didn't know what they were often shied away from them on some instinctive level, even if they weren't sure why.

Only Ruby was different. And now she would be disappointed he'd be stuck in the Sanctum again.

He'd have to apologise to her later.

_If I remember…_

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**Busy chapter. At least in terms of PoV moments. The Grimm are abound and Jaune is part of the culling teams, albeit with plenty of hints as to his nature in this chapter. And how that interacts with the Grimm.**

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**Next Chapter: 3****rd**** May**

**P a treon . com (slash) Coeur **


	39. Chapter 39

**As people may or may not know, I offer lessons and advice to some of my supporters who want to learn to write, usually in the form of lessons online over Skype and whatnot. I have quite a few students, some of whom are fanfiction writers themselves, some in RWBY and some even in other fandoms.**

**But I'm happy to announce one of my students has just self-published the novel we've been working on together on Amazon, which is available in both paperback and digital format.**

**It's written by him with me helping with lessons, advice and the likes, so please be aware that if you read it, it's **_**his**_** work, not mine. But I'm proud of it nonetheless, and proud of him for taking the step.**

**If you'd like to read or purchase it, you can find it on Amazon (be sure to use com or co uk or whatever it is depending on your region). The author's name is Charles Cackler and the book is called "The Mage Trials (Path of the Magi)". You can easily find it by going to amazon and typing his name in the search bar.**

**If you have Kindle Unlimited, you can read it for free, otherwise it's obviously free to read the first chapter or so. I'd be happy if you'd check it out and see if it's something any of you might be interested in reading. I will say it's different to RWBY obviously. It's an original novel. I'd love to provide a link, but the site doesn't allow it.**

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_For those wondering, I'll be posting about this for once on each story for this week – I know you may have read the note on Null, but I'm obviously very pumped, as is my student, so I wanted to do him a solid with a mention. Plus, not everyone reads all my works, so consider it more for those who haven't seen it yet._

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**Cover Art: **Z-ComiX

**Chapter 39**

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Stealing things was easy.

At least, it was easy once you knew how. There was mastery involved in lifting objects without making a sound or picking pockets, but that was just tricks and practice, like how most people thought a pickpocket could take something from you without you even noticing. It really wasn't that simple. Half the time, you had to distract the mark first by bumping into them. The other half, you practically mugged them without any subtlety at all, grabbing their purse and legging it.

Either way, thievery didn't rely on anyone but yourself and your own skills, which is what made it perfect for her. Yang was much better at the `convincing people stuff` and she didn't just mean with fists, either. Yang had a sharp tongue and sharper wit.

Ruby was a messenger and a thief. Things that didn't require much in the way of social interaction outside "yes sir", "no sir" and "where to, sir". And the occasional "I didn't do it". If things got really bad, she could give back what she stole, remind her mark who she worked for and who her sister was, and five times out of ten, that'd get her out of a beating.

Stealing things was easy. Convincing people to do things you wanted? Less so.

"Ruby." Ren put his book down and turned to fix her with an arch eyebrow. "Not that I don't enjoy your company but I'm a little confused as to why you're here at ten in the morning discussing the virtues of Nora's hair."

"Do you not like her hair?"

"I don't find it disagreeable," he said distractedly, pausing to write something down on a piece of parchment. The quill clinked back into the ink pot. "Why?"

"I guess men are more direct. How about her boobs? They're huge!"

Ren choked on the very air he breathed, almost knocking the ink over but catching it at the last second. He righted it and turned to regard her fully. "I almost think I must have misheard that. Did you just refer to Nora's…" He glanced down at his own chest. "Assets…?"

Assets? That was a new one. Boobs, tits and fun bags were what she heard most of the people in the slums call them, although to be fair the latter one was more commonly said outside the whorehouses. Yang had given her the motherly talk as best she could so Ruby knew what they were for – feeding children – but most of the time Yang acted like they were a pain in the ass. She'd never really noticed, having a flat chest.

Although that wasn't the case anymore, was it? All that food seemed to be going straight to her hips and chest, skipping her stomach entirely. They weren't big compared to her sister's, but she had boobs now. Bouncy, irritating, always-needing-support boobs.

"Can you not do that?" Ren asked in a strangled voice.

"Do what?"

"Bounce around while cupping your…"

He looked away, cupping his face and sighing into his hand. Some whispers escaped him, some quiet prayer or plea for patience. Ren hadn't been sleeping again. The bags around his eyes weren't heavy but they were there, and his robes were dirty, no doubt what he'd been wearing yesterday. He didn't look on the verge of collapse, more… unkempt. Rough. Like Junior after a night out except not stinking of alcohol and sex.

"Can you please just say what it is you want to say?" he asked. "You're dodging around one topic or another and I need to get back to work. Unless this is Nora's latest plan to get me to stop working? If so, it's not working. You're only making me take more time."

"It's not Nora's plan exactly…"

"Ruby." He looked at her. "Please just say what you want plainly."

"I want you to go on a date with Nora."

Ren stared at her. He stared at her _hard_. "What?"

"You said to say it plain," she whined. "You. Nora. Date. Romantic."

"I understood that part." He sighed again, leaning an elbow on his desk. "Why? Where did this come from?"

"I need you to go on a date with her to pay back a debt."

If Nora were there, she'd have screamed bloody murder. It hadn't been said but the fact she was meant to keep the deal secret was so obvious even Ruby couldn't have missed it. She just didn't care. Nora was nice and friendly but the main thing was getting the book on Wildmages so she could figure out how to handle the surges or discover why she was hunted in the first place.

Keeping Nora from being embarrassed wasn't the main objective.

"Did she put you up to this?"

"Sort of a mix," Ruby said honestly. "And you know it'll help you out as well…"

"How?"

Ruby dove into the explanation of the book tracker, waving her hands and articulating on how it'd work. Ren appeared disinterested at first, but that soon changed. Like the Grand Arcanist and the Librarian after him, he started to pay more attention, leaning forward when it became clear he would be able to use it to more accurately map the Archives. There were books she wanted in there, and there were almost certainly a fair few Ren wanted as well.

"And if you help, I'll make sure you get to be one of the first to use it!"

"This will work?"

"The Grand Arcanist himself thinks so."

She wasn't used to having big names to drop for every little argument, but the big boss had made it easy here. Disbelief from the Librarian? Here's a letter from the big guy. Uncertainty from Ren. The Grand Arcanist says it'll work. _I should do this more often. His name opens a lot of doors._ Back in the slums she had Junior's name to throw around, but it didn't carry nearly as much weight.

"It wouldn't be immediate though, would it? The map will only fill as long as people are using it to search the Archives. Having the first go won't help me at all."

"No, but _not having it at all_ won't help either. And Nora is kinda making a date with you a requirement." Under her breath, she added, "Though it'd also be good if you could pretend I convinced you on purely normal terms and didn't throw her under the horse and carriage."

Ren snorted. "Yes, I imagine she'd be quite upset with you for saying all this."

"Eh. It was never in the terms to keep it a secret."

"I'll have to remember that if I ever make a deal with you, Ruby."

"So will you…?"

"Yes." He held a hand out as Ruby jumped happily. "But!" he stressed. "I don't think this will have the happy ending Nora expects. "And at best, it would be time spent together. Not a date by any means."

"What's the difference? Just be romantic."

"I can't."

Ruby huffed and planted her hands on her hips. "Why not!?"

"Because I have a fiancée."

The words died on her lips. Ruby stared at him, eyes wide as he smiled sadly and turned on his stool to close the book he'd been reading. "It was agreed upon only days after I was invited to the Collegium. My family knew I might be spending the better part of a decade here and didn't want to leave to chance the possibility of my becoming a family man. The missive was sent, and suitable women were offered the chance to bid for my hand. Or their families were."

"Like an auction!?" Ruby asked hysterically. "They _sold_ you?"

"More like a competition for suitability. Families showed off their wealth and what they might offer, while I was paraded before unmarried ladies, made to spend time dining and speaking with them to find a match. Your friend was among them, you know."

Ruby balked. "Weiss!?"

"We didn't get on well. No arguments but… well, a lack of interest on either side. And her family was not what mind was looking for."

How desperate was Weiss' dad that he'd try and foist her off on both Ren _and_ Jaune? That was two of her guy friends Weiss had almost become engaged to now. Were there more? That wasn't right! Why couldn't Weiss just be allowed to fall in love normally?

"Eventually, a lady was chosen who both I and my family could agree on."

"A-And it's not Nora?"

"Nora's family lacks the titles." He looked away. "She never even knew about it and doesn't know now either. I… I have been trying to distance myself a little, to make it easier on her. The whole thing won't happen until I graduate as an Arcanist either way. I thought I could ignore it and carry on as normal. Of course, with how interconnected all the nobility is here, you can see why I can't show Nora any attention that might be construed as romantic in nature."

It'd get back to the family of the woman he was going to marry, who would probably go to Ren's family and cause all sorts of problems. Or worse, they might go to Nora's! Were there laws against poaching? Could Nora's family get in trouble? Even if there weren't, Nora would be crushed.

"Do you love this person you're marrying?"

"Love? I hardly know them. We spoke and our conversation was pleasant enough. I believe that if we spent more time together, we might be able to find some common ground. Our union will be comfortable if nothing else."

"That's not what I asked," she whispered.

Ren chuckled. "No, I don't love her, but then I've not spent enough time with her to tell. Perhaps I shall come to love her and perhaps she shall come to love me. It's awkward, Ruby. She is thirteen years old."

"W-What!? But you're, like, eighteen!"

"Seventeen," he corrected. "But yes, the age difference is apparent, especially with her so young. Don't worry," he said, "the laws _do_ prevent marriage below the age of eighteen. We are engaged but there is no rush. That said, the contracts have already been signed. In the eyes of the nobility, she and I are already as good as husband and wife. We're simply delaying the ceremony for five years."

"Still weird," she mumbled. "And what about Nora? Didn't you know she was in love with you?"

"Of course I did," he said, smiling sadly. "Why do you think I've tried to spare her feelings? If she believes I have no interest in her, she'll move on. And without being hurt by a rejection. Keep in mind those can hurt more than just her. If I publicly reject her, the reputation of her family will suffer."

"Do _you_ love Nora?"

"I'm engaged, Ruby."

"That's not what I asked."

"No." He stood. "But it's what I said. Nothing else matters." He sighed and pinched the bridge of his nose, whispering something under his breath. "You can tell her I will spend time with her. That's what you want, no? Perhaps I shall find the courage to tell her the truth. If I'm lucky, it will be in a way that doesn't break her heart."

"What about _your_ heart?"

"Ruby!" She flinched, glaring down at the floor angrily. Ren sighed again, this time with some exasperation. "I know what you're trying, Ruby, and I appreciate it. I'm fortunate to have made a friend like you, and I consider you a friend as well. This isn't a matter for you, however. This was all decided long before you or I met. Let's leave it at that."

"Being a noble sucks…"

Ren laughed softly. "I am sure there are those less fortunate who say the same about their own lives."

He didn't know the half of it.

/-/

"It's not fair!"

"Marriage rarely is." Weiss looked up from her homework with a smile. "You know, it's rare to see you so worked up. It's quite adorable actually."

"I'm not adorable and this isn't cute!" Weiss didn't seem all too intimidated at the way she puffed her cheeks out. Stupid Weiss. "And what about you? Ren said even _you_ tried to marry him!"

"Did he now? That was something I'd have rather he kept to himself…"

Weiss didn't look embarrassed by what was said, only annoyed. Like it wasn't something awkward in the first place. They were out in the gardens together, sat at a table made of artfully interwoven white metal coiling in leaf-shape patterns. A tray with some treats and sweets lay before them half eaten, the remainder being feasted upon by a belligerent wasp.

Flowers rose on either side to tangle in a wooden frame that arched above them for shade. Many such seated areas could be found dotted around the Collegium, though Ruby normally preferred sitting on the grass by the training fields. The ground was still wet, though. Not sodden as it had been for days after the floods, but still damp.

"It's not something to get worked up over," Weiss went on. "As one of the newest of the noble families, the Schnee have a lot to prove. Father is ambitious and it's not like he forced me into it. I had the chance to speak with him and see if we connected. We did not. That's as simple as it need be. The only reason his family considered me at all was because of my tenuous link to the throne, all that through my mother."

"And you're not upset about the way it is?"

"No. Should I be? His family gave me the chance, but we did not mesh. How is that any different from how it's handled outside the nobility?" In lots of ways, not least of all that family didn't get to decide who you did or didn't see. "Did you never have this in Menagerie? You're fifteen. Surely someone attempted to court you."

"Never."

Weiss frowned. "I don't see why not. You're not ugly at all."

"Are you… offended on my behalf?"

"A little. I can think of many noble ladies less appealing than you on physical looks alone, to say nothing of their insipid personalities. If my little brother wasn't such an arrogant snot, I might have suggested you and he meet."

Giggling, Ruby poked Weiss in the side. "No thanks. I'm okay as I am."

"Understandable. And I would not be a good friend if I tried to match you with Whitley. Still, I'm surprised your family didn't push for marriage meetings."

"Mom and dad said I should fall in love on my own." They hadn't but only because they died when she was too young for that. She knew they would have, though.

"Really? Your family must have been quite powerful then. Only those too powerful to have anything to gain consider personal feeling in that way. It's considered a mark of their influence that they can eschew the benefits of a carefully selected political marriage. You're lucky Jaune stepped in to win that duel for you with Malneux or you might be in marriage meetings now."

Ruby stilled. "Say what?"

"Part of the deal was that you would become a ward of the Malneux family, remember?"

"T-That would let them marry me off!?"

"Of course. It's the responsibility of your guardians to arrange such things after all. In lieu of your parents, they would have found a suitable match for you and even paid your dowry. Of course, there's also a chance they may have decided to integrate you into the family themselves. There's a lot to gain by absorbing the assets of another family, even if their physical holdings have been destroyed."

Ruby retched loudly.

"Yes. I thought you might have that reaction. Relax, Lady Ruby Malneux is a fate that has been prevented." Weiss smiled coyly. "It looks like it shall be Lady Ruby Arc now."

It wasn't going to be either because she wasn't getting married at the age of fifteen! Especially not without falling in love, which also wouldn't happen unless she figured out how to handle the Wildmage business first.

"Can we get back to Nora and Ren?"

"I don't think we should." Weiss finished her cup of tea and put the fine mug down on a saucer. "Whatever is happening between them is just that. It's also a scandal in the making if anything _does_ happen between them while Ren is promised to another. Better we keep ourselves – and our names – out of such matters."

"What if I want to help?"

"Don't!" Weiss snapped the word at her, then lessened it a second later. Swallowing, she looked around. "I'm sorry, I didn't mean to say it like that. It's just… You should stay out of trouble, Ruby. You're already an orphaned noble from Menagerie. That's already too much attention on you. Stay away from drawing more."

"Too much attention from who?"

"No one," she said quickly. "Just… Stay out of trouble. I'd not forgive myself if anything happened to you."

Oh sure, that was no pressure whatsoever. Not like she had a big bad secret that'd get her killed if it were found out, and now she had the wonderful thought of Weiss blaming herself for it. "I'm not looking for trouble," she grumbled. "I just… Bah." She crossed her arms. "I'd have never agreed to the date thing if I thought it would be this complicated."

"Maybe there's a lesson there, then. Keep all bargains strictly monetary in future."

Easy for Miss Money-Bags to say that.

/-/

It took five days for Nora to get back in contact. Lessons continued as normal with evening trips to the Archives while Weiss was busy with the White. The surges continued to grow, and Ironwood and his Specialists roamed the Collegium with eagle eyes, branching out into the city each night, looking for the Wildmage who they knew would have to shot herself soon. In class, her arms would itch, the skin tingling and hairs standing on end. Touching metal made her jolt as lightning ran through her fingers. Her foot tapped incessantly on the floor and if she let herself, her finger would drum a beat on the wooden desks.

Concentration grew difficult. Rational thought even more so.

When Nora eventually did send a letter, Ruby raced to the Black Arcana building and picked her way through the grounds to Nora's workshop. She was panting when she arrived, sweat dripping down her face. If Nora watched her run in the mornings with the Newbloods, she'd have known that kind of exercise wouldn't faze her. Luckily, she didn't, and Ruby could pretend it was the pace that had her shaking and shivering.

"You have it?" she choked out.

"I have a prototype," Nora said carefully. Bringing a wooden box over, she opened it to reveal a slightly smaller box inside and what looked to be a small rod as long as her forearm. Nora took the rod out. It was metal but for a leather handle. "There's no point making more than one if it doesn't work. I need you to test this out wherever you want to use it."

Ruby reached for it.

"Ah. Ah." Nora pulled it back. "Did you come through on your end?"

"Y-Yes. Ren will go on a date with you." Ruby took the item and held it to her chest as Nora squealed excitedly. She couldn't meet the other girl's eyes. "H-He said it's not a promise of anything, though. It's just a date. It… It might not work out."

"That's fine. I'll make it work!" She had no idea. "Okay, I've got the payment from the Grand Arcanist so I can start working on more of these the second you tell me it works." Picking a book up off her table, she held it out. "Hold the sensor against the spine." Ruby did so and it let out a faint blue glow. "Now hold it against this," Nora said, bringing out a small bronze plaque with `1A` stamped into it. The rod flared again. "You'll need to stick these on the shelves," she explained. "Now the sensor knows that this book is at `1A`, and when you bring it back to the brain – that's what I'm calling this thing – you can deposit that knowledge. Try holding the sensor against the crystal."

The box, or the brain, was a black and smooth thing with a round circular crystal set in the top like a pool of water. She said pool because there was liquid trapped underneath, though she couldn't make out what kind. It was misty. When she held the sensor to it, the liquid pooled under it and glowed blue again. The particles in the liquid became shaped like mist, flowing out toward the edges and out of sight.

"Is that the knowledge being drawn out?"

"Yes. I made It do the swirling thing so you know it works. The magic itself can't be seen normally. It's just so nobody thinks it's broken or hits the crystal harder to make it work. Now, you see this plate below the crystal?" Nora tapped the silvery plate, rectangular shaped and flat. "You write the word you want on that plate. The more specific, the better. If you pick a word, it'll bring up every book with that word on the cover. Write the title perfectly and it'll find the exact book you want."

"Write on it with ink?"

"No, no. Just write. Here." Nora took a quill and held it to the plate. There was no visible change, but she sketched out a word. Without ink or any engraving, Ruby couldn't tell what. "I wrote `language`. That's the book I gave you – and look!"

The misty liquid swirled and rose, and Ruby gasped as the floating particles were brought into a word. _That's why the water has that dust in it. It's the dust that forms the writing!_ It was slow, the liquid being made to swirl into the right patterns to guide the particles, but soon enough the name of the book Nora had made her scan was displayed in the water.

"If it's the right book, tap the plate you wrote on."

Ruby did so. The water swirled, forming a new word with the motes of dust – 1A.

"And that's it. Course, it's up to _you_ to figure out where 1A is. I'd suggest making a map and having people mark it as they go along. It'll take a day or two, or more depending on how much room you have, but you'll soon have the place mapped out. One thing to keep in mind is that 1A might be a hundred or more books. I couldn't make it any more specific without sticking labels everywhere. You'll need to dig in the shelf for the book yourself."

"That's fine! That's perfect!" Nora had _no idea_ just how many shelves there were, and even if each might contain hundreds of books, it meant finding one in two hundred, not one in what was possibly two _million_. Maybe even more. "What do I do with it now? You said it needed testing."

"Mhm. Take it to your library and give it a go. Try map out a small area. It's not big enough to store all that much, but I just want to know if it works. Once you've tested it, let me know and I can make a bigger brain and a lot more sensors."

"I'll do that now. Thank you!"

The Librarian was only too happy to help once she brought it to him. The elderly man helped set the `brain` up on a central desk that had been cleared for it, and several Arcanists and Initiates hovered nearby, having heard the news and many having contributed lien toward its costs. Ruby stayed back, shaking excitedly – and with her power surging – as the man laid out a map of the Azure Archives they had prepared already. It was incomplete.

"If you all want to help, someone start securing these tags to the closest shelves," the Librarian said, placing the bronze plaques down. They were taken quickly, Initiates moving to the closest shelf edges and using spells to secure or pin them to the wood. The older Arcanists watched intently. "Initiate Rose, if you will do the honours." He offered the sensor to her. "Scan some books and then the plaques."

Ruby darted off to do just that, doing what Nora had told her and holding the rod up to the spines. She didn't go alone. Plenty of Arcanists came to follow and see for themselves how it was done, for they would no doubt be tasked to bring those with them on future forays. Ruby made sure to hold it up and over the spines so everyone could see it glow blue.

Mapping three shelves took over fifteen minutes. Even if it was only a second for each book, that amount of time added up when the sheer size of the shelves was taken into account. An older and taller Arcanist came and helped her scan the higher ones, levitating the sensor for her with a quick cantrip. Their party hurried back the moment it was done.

"Good. Good. Now, Initiate, you know how this is done. Show us."

"O-Okay. You just hold it gently to the crystal…" Men and women leaned in as the watery liquid swirled beneath it, sliding away to the edges of the brain. "It can't store a lot yet," she warned. "When the bigger one is made, it'll do more."

"That is fine if it works. This is a test run." The Librarian took a glass quill and held it to the silver plate. "I am going to write `Collegium`" he said. "Behold." His hand moved, quill tracing elegantly and invisibly across silver. When he was done, he drew back and leaned over to look into the crystal.

There were a few books with that title. The water slowly pulsed through several of them until the Librarian tapped the silver plate on one in particular. The pulsing stopped. The title - `Collegium: Atlas` shone to all. It was a random selection, but that wasn't the point. He tapped it again and the water swirled.

"3A," he announced. "Quickly, someone check 3A for us. Collegium: Atlas. Find it."

Five or six Initiates rushed away.

The rest of them waited impatiently.

It took time. It took a lot of time. Time in which Ruby shrunk under the gazes around her, time in which her breathing quickened and her hands kept shaking so badly she had to hold onto her knees. Standing still was difficult. The magic swirled and tickled under her skin, begging to come out and blow a hurricane through the Archives. Five minutes became ten. Became fifteen. An Arcanist coughed and everyone jumped.

Ruby shuddered visibly. Had they done something wrong?

"I've found it!" The Initiates returned, one waving a boom above him elatedly. "Librarian, I've found it. The book was there – there as it said it would be! It – It took time," he admitted, "But only because it was high up!"

"We can label more aggressively," the Librarian said. "Split the shelves into two or three segments. However much we need to." He stood, smiling at the crowd. "The test is a success!" He waited for the pleased cries and applause to die down. "I shall conduct a few more to be certain beyond all reasonable doubt, but this is enough proof for myself. Initiate Rose, you have conducted yourself well. Please inform your contact within the Black of this and see that she begins work. The funds collected shall be released to you."

More applause, and even some "congratulations" from the Arcanists. Had she been in any better a condition, she might have enjoyed it. Pushing through the crowd, she heard the librarian call for the Initiates to start copying the plaques onto the maps, no doubt intending to build a fully labelled map of their near surroundings. The full map of the Archives would take much longer. Years. Possibly decades. There was no knowing how big the Azure Archives were, and if the rumours of people getting lost for weeks at a time were true, it wouldn't be completed anytime soon.

Nora's workshop was empty when she returned. The door wasn't locked but the Initiate herself was absent, either taking a break or gone for lunch. Ruby swore, eyes closing tight and watering as a fresh spasm rocked her body.

"N-Not now. C-Come on. Hold!"

Wind kicked up dust from the floor, buffeting the inside of Nora's ramshackle abode. Papers fluttered off the closest table, spinning and slapping against the walls as though they were caught in a cyclone. The world lurched, power rising and falling inside her so fast the contents of her stomach almost went with it.

"No. Noooo…" The cold floor did little to soothe the face she pushed down into it with gritted teeth. Sweat ran down her face and she couldn't breathe. Couldn't think. Couldn't hold on. Couldn't control it. "N-No. No! No, no, no!"

Bells all across the Collegium began to toll.

"NO!"

The dam gave way. Fire rushed out. Fire and wind and rage that ignited on contact with the air. Nora's workshop, her tools and everything else went up in a blaze of light that blew the roof clean off, launching it up into the air. Fire blew out the new cavity, lashing and licking at the sky. The fire burned bright and hot, growing with every second and blowing out the walls, covering the grounds and racing outward, fuelled by her agonised screams.

/-/

Arcanist Ironwood froze. Clover bumped into his back, but he didn't comment on it, instead gasping as he felt the distant rush of power. Power on a level untenable by any Arcanist, especially at such a distance. The towers about the slums he and the Specialists prowled were silent, but the towers in the distance, in the Collegium, tolled loudly.

"Is that-?" Clover asked, eyes wide. "It can't be."

"The Wildmage," James whispered. "It's in the Collegium! Quickly," he barked. "We return!"

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**Oh dear, Ruby. Working her butt off to find a solution but it took too long with everyone needing time to work on things and test them. Surging in the middle of the Collegium, and so soon after the collapse of the walls at the hand of this `wicked Wildmage` too.**

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**Next Chapter: 10****th**** May**

**P a treon . com (slash) Coeur **


	40. Chapter 40

**Here we go**

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**Cover Art:** Z-ComiX

**Chapter 40**

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Fire and wind tore through her veins causing blood to boil. It was painful; it was wonderful; it was relief; it was fear; it was all of it coming out like water from a burst dam. Somewhere during it Ruby fell to her hands and knees, convulsing and arching her back, choking on screams that no longer had breath to sound.

It was both the greatest and the worst feeling of her young life.

Something in her body shifted. Gave way. Her legs became wet and she didn't know if she'd wet herself or climaxed – both were possible! The power surged one last time, roaring through every inch of her body and expelling out in a final howl of wind.

And then, nothing.

Until the roof of Nora's shack came _crashing_ down outside, splintering apart in a horrifying sound that was sure to draw everyone's attention – if the absolute _firestorm_ ripping up the Black Arcana wasn't evidence enough.

Panic gripped her. It was time to run.

Where, she didn't know. The rules were always the same in the slums – run first, ask questions later. Ruby bolted for the door and out, desperately trying to not be seen. Her magic responded, the familiar waves washing over and hiding her from view. _Invisibility,_ she thought. _Stay invisible. Don't let them see me. Please, Wildmagic, don't let me down now._

Cloaked figures were rushing toward the devastation. She ran the opposite way, toward the walls at the corner of the compound Nora's workshop occupied. The walls were too tall to be climbed easily but she hopped up, kicked off one wall at the junction of the corner and caught the lip, hauling herself up and over, scrabbling down the other side. Her heart raced as she charged on, legs thumping down into the grass, determined to put as much distance between the scene of the crime and herself as possible.

The bracelet on her wrist felt heavy. Cold. Did she rip it off? Lose it before Ironwood could track her? That would only look more suspicious, but if he'd been watching or had a way to track back, then he'd know for sure. Or would he? How accurate was it? Accurate enough to notice when it stopped working in the Sanctum. It had to stay on. All she could do was create distance.

_Did anyone see me go there? What am I supposed to do if they did?_ The usual response was telling Yang and then having her threaten the person into silence. Not much use here. _Would I have to deal with them myself?_

Could she?

If Wildmagic responded to her desires, she could in theory badly hurt someone if she convinced herself it had to be done and she wanted it bad enough. It was the consequences of that she was more worried about, the very real possibility of killing someone who didn't deserve it.

"Stupid surges," she all but wept. "Couldn't you have waited just another week!?"

/-/

"Thank you for your time, Initiate Valkyrie," Ozpin said, leading the intimidated girl to the door. "Rest assured you're in no trouble – why, there are plenty of your fellows who saw you in the Black Arcana cafeteria. There's nothing to worry about."

"B-But it was my experiments that went off…"

"No one was hurt. Just a little damage. Though, if you'll indulge my curiosity, this didn't impact your recent experiment, did it?" The poor girl was so upset she looked at him with absolute confusion, as though she couldn't even piece together what he meant. "The sensors and memory box," he prodded. "For the Azure Arcana?"

"Oh! That!" Laughing nervously, she shook her head. "No, Grand Arcanist, I finished the prototype and sent it off for testing earlier today. I wouldn't start on the main one until I knew it worked so no, nothing was there to be damaged. And I don't keep my notes in my workshop. Not after the last ones went up in – uh… an accident."

"Accidents within the Black are common, my dear." He thumbed his Arcanum and the single black gemstone within it. "As I well know. Run along now. You're awfully stressed, so why not take the rest of the day to relax. Deal with your workshop tomorrow."

"Y-Yes. Thank you, Grand Arcanist." Nora glanced back into the room with just a little fear. "A-And Specialist Ironwood. Goodnight." Outside, Specialist Marrow approached with a smile and a friendly word, throwing an arm around her shoulder and leading her away, chatting the whole time. At least _someone_ in James' entourage had the sense to be as such.

Ozpin closed the door, turning back with a heavy sigh. "I hope you are pleased with yourself, James. You've scared a poor Initiate half to death."

"A small price to pay, Ozpin."

"Yes – if it might lead to anything, but not only did Miss Valkyrie have a perfectly acceptable alibi, she's also a confirmed member of the Black Arcana. You know as well as I that Wildmages cannot hope to infiltrate their order. The techniques required are too precise."

James sat on one of the seats in the room, hooking his arms behind him. He appeared as tired and haggard as Ozpin felt, but the sharp gleam in his eyes told of steely determination. "The girl works in explosions. Those would not be difficult for a Wildmage to fake."

"You've already had your people investigate her, then? I'm not surprised. The explosions I might grant you, but her recent work is of a different nature entirely."

"My people did not know about that," James admitted.

He wouldn't have. The project for the Azure was both private and relatively new, while James had no doubt been basing his information on Miss Valkyrie from what her peers within the Black knew, and that, as he understood it, was that she had a penchant for things of a destructive nature. To put it simply, the information was outdated. It was a flaw James would not have made within his own Collegium, but here, well, he was on new ground.

"I shall confirm it for you then, James. Her work is not something a Wildmage could accomplish, certainly not one in the midst of a surge. And, of course, we have proof she was nowhere near the location as it happened."

"I accept that, Ozpin. The girl is clean. But it is better safe than sorry!"

"Within reason, old friend. Within reason. The White may have its purpose but let us not stray so far we forget what that is." He came to take a seat behind his desk, leaning his elbows upon it and his chin atop his hands. "Regardless, we have confirmation now. The Wildmage is within the Collegium. That is… troubling."

"It's also an opportunity."

"Beware, James. I will not take kindly to you framing danger to my students as a boon."

"Not that," he said. "And I agree, the safety of the students is important. I'm only saying that we need not fear for the Wildmage attacking innocents in the city. The Covenant is safe. Whatever happens will happen behind closed doors and the world at large will be none the wiser. Of course, we should still see it done quickly. Before there are any casualties."

"Agreed. So, what do we know?"

"For a fact, we know that the Wildmage must be an Initiate. Leaving aside that any Arcanist would be heavily tested, if a Wildmage _was_ able to infiltrate our ranks for that long, they'd certainly know how to handle their surges by now."

"Yes. This is a new development, and as such a new entrant."

"Possibly." James, as ever, wasn't willing to rule anything out. "The easiest thing to assume will be that the Wildmage is a new addition. However, it's also possible they might be an older Initiate as well. Someone who has until now been able to hide it."

Possible, but less likely. Surges were something still relatively unknown – few Wildmages were captured alive, and those that were hardly knew their powers better than the Arcanists themselves. The surges came without fault and without warning, demanding Wildmages use their powers or have them wrested out from under their control. Such compulsion made them dangerous, for even if they wished to do no harm, they inevitably would.

The eldest of Initiates were too unlikely. Those seeking to join Arcana or become an Arcanist themselves were too entrenched in their works. That was where a Wildmage would be revealed, for the delicate magics required for the Arcana would be all but impossible for them. The only one they could slip into easily was the White, and that was no accident. The Trials of the White were as much a trap for Wildmages as they were tests for aspirants.

"The first three years," Ozpin eventually said. "I cannot believe someone was able to conceal their nature longer than that."

"I happen to agree. If someone were that skilled, they could have kept it hidden now. These surges are coming faster and faster – first in the Slums, then bringing down the wall and now within the Collegium itself."

"Search among the staff as well," Ozpin said.

"You believe they snuck in through the wall? I hadn't considered that." James rubbed his chin, eyes narrowing to flinty chips of ice. "Yes, the distraction would be a good time to infiltrate the Collegium, and we wouldn't think to look among the staff or guards. Very well. With your permission, I shall extend the search."

"Only to those newest. I do not want the staff feeling threatened. Look for those close to the Black. I can't help but think Miss Valkyrie's workshop was not chosen by accident. A blast of that size, why, they may have heard of her focus just as much as we."

"They wanted to pass their surge off as her experiments going wrong?" Ironwood scoffed. "Clever, but not clever enough. The bell towers would not react to that."

"Our intruder would not know that, though. Would they?"

"True enough. I'll see it done. If we're to believe they snuck in recently, that shouldn't be too many people to check anyway. Twenty, maybe thirty. I doubt turnover here is any greater than Atlas. I can be sure of that by the end of tomorrow. And I shall be subtle," he promised. "We shall interview them as to their locations and, if needs be, provide for them the same trackers we have the students."

"Speaking of…?"

"I'm afraid not. We were outside the Collegium when the surge began. Harriet was watching the equipment and by the time she isolated where it was, there were at least forty Initiates in the area, most of them of the Black. We interviewed them naturally, but they were all either working nearby or responding to the noise and investigating. We did a scan of all the students after. All bracelets are accounted for and within the Collegium walls. None were removed."

A shame, but perhaps also a good thing. It painted the picture that the students might yet be innocent, for a guilty party would surely have tried to remove their tracker. Or they had been unlucky.

"Keep looking," he told James. "We shall seal off the Collegium and scour it head to toe. If the pattern holds true the surges will increase in intensity. With our attention focused inward, I doubt the Wildmage will be able to escape the next one."

"My thoughts exactly. We've narrowed the potential Wildmages down from hundreds of thousands to under a thousand in a single day." Ironwood stood, smiling. "The net is closing. Soon, the monster will be caught."

/-/

Ruby stayed huddled in her and Weiss' dorm, shaking and watching the door, waiting for someone to come bursting through and demand she follow them. It had been three hours now since the surge and no one had. The suspense was killing her. It was at times like this she would have gone and hidden in the Sanctum with Cinder; the older Wildmage would have kept her distracted with stories and questions, calming her down. More than anything, she missed that. Things had been terrible ever since those Arcanists from Atlas showed up.

Weiss was nowhere to be seen, probably out studying or at the White Arcana. That was a relief of its own since it let Ruby hold her face under the strange magical bath and wash the frightened tears away. Then, just to sell the idea she'd been here all along, she had a hot bath and soaked in it until the water turned cold.

Yang would have loved something like this. The whole city would, and Vale would have been a better place if the Collegium spread out their magic a little. Emerald to heal the sick, Crimson to guard the outskirts and the Black to make things to help keep the slums safe from the floods. Instead, the Arcanists holed themselves up in the Collegium, turning it into a paradise at the expense of everyone else. Sinking down into the water, Ruby brought her knees up to her face, clenching her eyes shut and holding onto herself.

The incessant tingling sensation of her Wildmagic was absent now. Peaceful, like a placid lake after a storm. She felt a calm deep inside that she hadn't for the last two weeks – but that calm was purely physical. _I didn't feel it coming on as bad as the first. Or was it just that it came quicker?_ The last had built up and up until she had to release it or explode. This one cam harder still and it reminded her of the people hooked on the Alchemist's tinctures back home. They'd start off normal and just wanting a little more, but the longer and longer it went, the more they became like feral animals, willing to do anything for their next fix.

Wildmagic didn't feel exactly like that. There'd been one time she had been hooked on those tinctures and it had been a _want_ deep inside for more. Yang kept her away until it left, and she felt sick and tearful after, sobbing her pain away. Dipping lower in the water, she breathed bubbles out through her nose. The Wildmagic wasn't nearly as appealing and she could happily go her whole life without another surge. It was more like her body _had_ to vent the energy, like a goose full to bursting and pushed a little too far.

_Great, and now I'm imagining the Arcanists fattening me for slaughter._

A knock at the door to the bathroom had her jumping out her skin and splashing water everywhere. "Ruby? Are you in the bath?" Weiss' voice. And not angry. Ruby's chest rose and fell but she forced herself to lay back, shivering in the now cold water. Act natural.

"Y-Yeah. I'm in here. Why?"

"I have a friend of yours here." The way Weiss said it suggested she wasn't sure if that was true or not. Ruby's eyes bulged, just imagining who that might be. It couldn't be Jaune or Sun because Weiss knew them. What if it was Marrow with a summons for her to see Ironwood and the Grand Arcanist? What if it was Ironwood himself!?

"W-Who is it?"

"Says her name is Nora."

Nora? Ruby slumped down again, splashing back with a desperate gasp. Then she tensed again. Nora! The same Nora whose workshop she'd blown up. Shit! "T-Tell her I'll be out in a second!" Water splashed as she stumbled out and to a fluffy towel. If Nora knew, she had to deal with this now. "I'll be right there!"

Her feet skidded across the floor as she tried to climb out, dry herself and get dressed at the same time. Her elbow hit the tub, her knee scraping the floor. Tears prickled at her eyes, but she forced herself through it, splashing some cold water in her face, hauling her blue robes over the top and scraping her scalp raw with the towel before pushing out. Weiss was there, as was Nora.

"Ruby!" Weiss gasped, scandalised. "You didn't have to be _that_ quick about it. Your hair-"

"H-Hi Nora!" Ignoring her, Ruby tried not to panic. "You needed me for something?"

"Fine. Sure. Ignore me." Hands on Ruby's shoulder pushed her down onto her knees. Weiss took the wet towel from her and started to rub her head softer, working it in slow circles much like Yang used to, muttering the whole time. It might have been nostalgic if the situation were different.

"It wasn't _that urgent_," Nora said. "Well I'm here now. Did you take the prototype to the Azure Archives?"

"Yeah. It worked. It worked really well." To cover herself, she said, "I was going to come tell you tomorrow about it so you could work on the rest. I came back to my dorm to have a bath and a nap to celebrate."

"Great!" Nora grinned. "So, you didn't come to the Black Arcana?"

"No," she lied. "Why?"

"Ah, well, one of my experiments went off and did some damage." Nora laughed nervously. It was unnatural and forced, perhaps forced by someone else. "My workshop ended up ruined, which would be bad if I weren't going to get all this payment for the job you got me so… that's it. I wanted to make sure it worked so I can start on the bigger version straight away."

Nora knew her workshop wasn't an accident. It was her enchantments and her work, so she had to know what was and what wasn't possible. Since it all worked on magic, none of it would have blown up without _someone_ there. Why keep it a secret, then? Had she been ordered to, or did she just not think it worth telling a first year Initiate like her?

"You weren't caught in the explosion, were you?"

"Me? No, no. I was in the cafeteria. Lots of people saw me there!" Nora added that almost desperately. "I-I mean, ugh. Sorry, I'm a little scattered right now. I didn't lose anything important to this job. Well, I lost the book on language, but the Grand Master said that's fine. It wasn't a rare book."

Meaning she'd spoken to the Grand Arcanist, which wasn't exactly the normal thing that happened in an Initiate's life. They must have questioned her, which meant they _were_ looking for the one responsible. And since Nora was doing all that work for her…

The suspicion was going to come crashing down on her head. It might take them a while, but once they crossed out all the other possibilities, they'd have to start noticing the connection between Nora and her, and it was common knowledge! Even the Grand Arcanist knew. It was a surprise she hadn't been hunted down and summoned already, even if just for an interview.

_Could I claim I stayed in the Azure Archives? No, they saw me leave and I can't run the risk of someone counteracting my excuse. I'll just have to stick with coming back here for a bath._ Nothing unusual about a student being lazy and Weiss hadn't been around to call her bluff or she would have done so already. At that very point, Weiss was running her fingers through Ruby's hair, smoothing and straightening it out with her hands.

"Ruby…?"

"Hm?" Ruby blinked at Nora. "Sorry, what? I didn't hear that."

"I can tell. You're looking awfully relaxed there." Nora giggled. "I was saying I'm not going to be able to work on the project today. I'm a little… well, a lot of my stuff got destroyed. I need a day to take it all in."

"Oh, sure. Yeah, that's fine. The Azure will understand. I'll tell them." Eager to get back onto that and away from her surge, she said, "They're really excited about your work. You should have seen them. There were Arcanists two or three times my age rushing off to follow my instructions when I tested it."

"That's good. Great even! Maybe I'll not repair my workshop at all. I might just wait and buy something bigger with this pay-out. Anyway, I should go." Nora pushed herself up from Ruby's bed. "Thanks for understanding and thanks to you as well, Lady Weiss, for letting me in."

"Not a problem, Lady Valkyrie," Weiss responded politely. "A friend of Ruby's is a friend of mine."

"If that's so, call me Nora. I'll see you both around."

"Friendly girl," Weiss said once she was gone. "Is that the one you were talking about before, the one in love with Lie Ren?"

"Hm. Yeah."

"I feel sorry for her then." Weiss drew Ruby's hair back and clenched it between her fists, straining out some final moisture. "There. You at least look somewhat presentable now. Really, I'm not sure what you would do without me. Make a fool of yourself no doubt."

Ruby smiled and stood up. "Probably. Were you at the White today?"

"Yes. I was being… I suppose you'd call it being put through an introductory set of lessons. Did you have something similar for the Azure?"

"No. They just let you do whatever you want."

"Hmph. Different Arcana, different rules. I suppose that plays into yours – they're all about individual research, no?" That was accurate enough that Ruby nodded. "You never told me what it was _you_ want to research." Ruby tensed. "There has to be something you want answers to. What is it?"

Arcana secrets? It was well within her right to say but it'd be so unusual for her to care about stuff like that, that Weiss would know something was up. And she was with the White now. Friends or not, Weiss was with the enemy.

"I want to research Menagerie and what happened there."

"Ah." Weiss' smile faltered. "That makes sense. I always assumed – no, that's unfair. You always seemed to carefree that I thought it didn't bother you, but I can see that was the wrong thing to think. You want to know why it happened, then?"

Ruby nodded. "Why it happened, what caused it and if it can happen again."

"And for what purpose? Not revenge, I hope. The Grimm aren't things you should be facing, Ruby. Not things any of us should be facing." That was a weird thing to bring up. Also specific, curiously specific.

"It's not like I'm wanting to go find them. I just want to know why it happened."

"Right." Weiss relaxed a little. "That's fine. Understandable, even. I can ask around the White if you like, see if they know anything. The White Arcana of different Collegiums tend to be connected. They send messages and the like."

"Is it okay for you to tell me anything?"

"I can ask," she said. "The worst my teachers there will say is no. It doesn't hurt to try."

"Then sure." Blake would appreciate the information if nothing else, and maybe it wouldn't be a bad thing for the White Arcana to have other things on their plate than her. "But don't get in trouble for it. I can find stuff on my own. And I'm not doing any research in the Azure. I'm just reading books. That's what Nora is helping with, an enchanted object to help us find the books we want."

"That's surprisingly mundane."

Ruby shrugged. "It's called the Azure Archives for a reason. There's a lot of books."

How many, Weiss would never know without joining. Since the fake Archives were known as the Azure Archives to everyone not of the Arcana, it wasn't against the rules for her to say that. Let Weiss and the White assume she was working in the upper ones. There were probably White-Azure Arcanists there who would know the truth, but they could confirm it in the Azure. It wasn't suspicious and it wasn't against the rules, so she'd look innocent either way.

_This surge came on a lot quicker than the last one, though. What if the next is even sooner?_

Finding out about Wildmages might have to be pushed back. Finding a place to surge safely was the bigger challenge.

/-/

"What is your name?"

"Jaune Arc.

"How old are you?"

"Seventeen."

"What is your name?"

"Jaune Arc."

"What are you?"

"Huntsman."

"What is your name?"

"Jaune Arc."

"What is your roommate's name?"

"Sun Wukong."

"What is he?"

"Newblood. Faunus. Friend."

"What is your name?"

He gritted his teeth. "Jaune Arc."

The White Arcanist stepped back with a subtle nod to the Huntsman standing nearby, sword in hand. It was lowered, Jaune's hair released and his head free to fall back onto the wooden stool he'd been pushed into. Two other Arcanists in the room watched from a distance, for all the threat they'd be. That was why three more Huntsmen waited by the doors. In case he lashed out.

"Recount for me your mission," the Arcanist instructed.

"I was sent out with a pack of huntsman and several Arcanists to cull the outskirts. We left the Collegium at noon and arrived at the outskirts by one, stopping to eat outside before entering on the request of the Arcanists." The Arcanist looked to the Huntsman beside him, who nodded his agreement. The detail was important. The more he could remember, the better.

"Good. Continue."

"We entered the outskirts at two. The Arcanists wished to split up to cover more ground. They…" His face scrunched up. "They wanted to make a competition of it. The one who could kill the most earned something from the loser."

"What was it?"

"I… I can't remember."

"Gold or a favour," another Arcanist said. "Something petty."

"The specifics don't matter," the one before Jaune snapped back. "The important part is his recollection of it. Do be silent. You have forgotten this detail, huntsman? Is that correct?"

"I didn't really listen. It was pointless babble." Having no way to confirm that true or not, the White Arcanist nodded for him to go on. He knew from experience that they'd err on the side of caution and assume it a lie anyway. "The lead huntsman suggested we stay together but the Arcanists insisted. They had something to prove."

"You made no attempt to argue?"

"No. They were the ones in charge. Not us."

"Hmm. Acceptable. So, you split up and continued the hunt? I assume you fought and killed Grimm. Do you remember anything of their numbers?"

He didn't. "Increased," he said, knowing that was true. "There were a lot more than we were used to seeing."

"Specific numbers, huntsman." Jaune's silence said it all. "I see. More lapses. Well then, let's skip ahead. Tell me how the Arcanist fell." The Arcanist listened to him recount the final moments as best he could, pausing to ask seemingly inconsequential questions. What spell the Arcanist used. Whether he cried out. His name. The exact manner in which he died. Whether or not he begged for mercy. If he was dead before his body hit the floor. How painful Jaune thought it might be.

Each to test his memory. Jaune answered as best he could, flatly. The Arcanist had been as any other and none of his concern. There was no capability to mourn his death, let alone the desire to. "I slew the Grimm afterwards, but it was too late to render aid. I paused to take stock and try to figure out where the rest of the huntsmen would be."

"And then…?"

"I…" Jaune looked down. "I lost track. I was lost in thought and…"

"You didn't come back. Hmm." The Arcanist pushed away from him and toward a small table. "The Arcanists who found you told me you mentioned someone's name. A meeting with someone. Who was this?"

He hated to bring her into it but couldn't not answer. "Ruby."

"And she is…?"

"A friend. An Initiate. I'd promised to meet with her today and… well, we were going to talk about things."

"You remembered her?"

"It was a promise."

"I see. It is good to keep your promises and having a memory to hold onto will serve you well." The Arcanist smiled. It wasn't a kind smile, but nor was it cruel. Polite. Cold. Still somehow comforting. "You're not yet so far gone as to become a warden of the Sanctum. A single lapse is accepted, even expected. You will be watched for further. Until then, I deem you fit to continue your work."

The relief was crushing. His entire body sagged into the seat, shoulders slumping and feet sliding down. In a way he'd known, if only because had he really lost himself, he wouldn't feel such relief in the first place. Or fear. The sound of tinkling glass caught his attention, however. The Arcanist had a small crystal vial in his hands.

"We shall take care to dose you a little further regardless. This should help centre your memories." The Arcanist stepped up to him, a tiny glass needle in hand. Knowing what was to come, Jaune opened his mouth and held out his tongue.

The needle did not pierce flesh. Such was not its purpose. The tip was angled down to his tongue and the moisture it had been dipped into naturally flowed to that point, forming a droplet that hung from it. A single drop fell, splashing and sizzling. The pain was immediate, and his muscles turned to solid iron. Hands gripped his shoulders to hold him still as his knees and feet locked together, heels digging into the floor. Through it all, he had the will to keep his mouth open. Three drops. Always three drops.

By the time the third drop came, his mind was on fire.

"What is your name?"

"J-Jaune Arc."

"How old are you?"

"Seventeen," he answered, vision swimming and body wracked with pain. His tongue felt like it had both inflated to fill his mouth and dissolved to ash at the same time. His toes were curled so far he could imagine them curling back up through his feet and coming out the top. "I-I'm seventeen," he choked.

"What are you?"

"Man. Newblood. Friend. Huma-"

A hand gripped his chin and squeezed his cheeks in. "What," the voice hissed. "Are. You?"

"Huntsman. Weapon. Tool."

"Good." He was released. "What is your name?"

His stomach rolled. He was about to be sick. "Jaune Arc…"

"What are you?"

"A weapon."

"Who are you?"

"Jaune… Jaune Arc…"

"What is Ruby?"

"Friend.

"What is Ruby?"

His eyes crossed but he couldn't see anything either way. He realised it was because he'd closed them to block out the pain. Why? There was hardly any pain at all, only an icy cold rushing through his body, ice dipping into every vein, every limb, freezing him through.

"F-Friend," he said, but he was no longer sure. "R-Ruby is my friend."

"Who are you?"

"Jaune. I… I'm Jaune. I think..."

"What are you?"

"I'm a weapon."

"What is Ruby?" the voice asked for what seemed like the tenth time. And yet this time, the answer felt so obvious he wasn't sure how he had missed it.

"Distraction. She's... a distraction..."

"Yes," he said. "She is. Now, what are you?"

"A weapon."

"_Who_ are you?"

"A weapon."

"What is your name?"

Jaune's dull eyes opened. "Weapon."

* * *

**Not at all shady.**

* * *

**Next Chapter: 17****th**** May**

**P a treon . com (slash) Coeur **


	41. Chapter 41

**No weird fever dreams about baked beans this time. That's a relief.**

* * *

**Cover Art:** Z-ComiX

**Chapter 41**

* * *

No one had come to interview her by the next morning and Ruby and Weiss went to breakfast, early lessons and reached midday without sight or sound of the Specialists. Had she gotten away with the surge? Was not removing the tracking bracelet the right call? Ruby stayed away from them and the Black Arcana either way. No need to invite suspicion.

Instead, she spent the day with Weiss, falling back into the familiar routine both to calm herself down and convince anyone watching that things were normal. Collecting some lunch from the cafeteria, they headed to the small flowery gazebo they'd unofficially claimed as their own. Sun joined them not five minutes later.

"Where's Jaune?" Ruby asked quickly.

Sun looked back, a brief flash of some uncertain expression on his face. "Not coming. He came back a bit banged up last night. I asked if he was gonna show, but he said he had work to do and couldn't afford to be distracted."

"Awfully rude of him not to tell us in person," Weiss remarked.

"It's fine." Ruby waved it off with a laugh. It must have been more work in the Sanctum, and he didn't want people to know he worked there. "Will he come tomorrow?"

"I'll ask. He sounded busy, though. Something about training harder. Cutting down on distractions." He shrugged. "I couldn't get much out of him last night before he fell asleep. Kept muttering something but that might just have been him complaining about how busy he is."

"Well I for one think it's admirable he's prepared to work so hard," Weiss said. "I shall forgive the momentary lapse in manners this time. What of you, Sun? Don't _you_ have work to do if your roommate does?" Her eyes sharpened. "You're not slacking, are you?"

Sun leaned an elbow on the table, his chin atop his fist as he smirked. "Worried for me, my lady?"

"In your wildest fantasies."

"Rather presumptuous to assume you'd feature in _those_ kinds of fantasies. Unless you're saying you'd like to…?"

"Wukong…" she growled warningly.

"Alright. Alright." He laughed and straightened up, snatching a scone and taking a large bite. "Whatever work Jaune has, I don't. That's normal. Most of the Newbloods are given different shifts and rotas. We do what needs to be done when it needs to be done. It's not like you girls and your structured lesson plans."

"Hm. Fair enough, I suppose. Though you will keep me _out_ of your fantasies!"

"You seem awfully interested in how I think of you, Weiss. Something I should know? Perhaps you should decide how you want my fantasies of you to go. That way there's no room for error."

Weiss scoffed. "A stern disciplinarian who will put up with no untoward advances!"

"Ooh." Sun grinned. "With a whip?"

"Sun, stop teasing Weiss. Weiss, stop rising to the bait. You're making it easy." Years with Yang had her inured to such things, but her roommate was burning bright red. Sun was laughing too, as cheerful as ever. "It's fine with Jaune. Tell him I said hi and not to work himself too much. Kay?"

"Kay. I'll tell him to swing by at some point too. That guy is too tense. He could use a way to unwind."

"Not in our room!" Weiss spluttered.

Ruby rolled her eyes. Weiss really was too easy to embarrass, and it wasn't like she and Jaune had even kissed, let alone bonked in her room. Weiss was Weiss, though. Weirdly innocent when all things were considered. _Or maybe I'm the one who's messed up. Seen too many night workers having sex with men in alleyways._

"I'll find a deep dark corner of the Collegium to screw his brains out in," she drawled, unaware of just how scandalised Weiss looked, or how Sun's mouth fell open. Neither had expected to hear something so raw from a girl two years younger than they. "Anyway, Sun, did you hear about the explosion that happened in the Black Arcana?"

"W-Wha-? Oh that? Ah, yeah." Sun's cheeks were a light pink and he tossed his head from side to side to get rid of it. "Not much, though. How did you hear about it?"

"Ruby's friend was the one affected," Weiss answered for her.

"Ah. Makes sense. So yeah, keep this on the low but we've been told it might be an assassination attempt."

Bullshit. The Grand Arcanist and Ironwood knew it wasn't.

"Really?" Weiss asked, leaning forward, voice low. Sun leaned forward as well, huddling over the table like conspirators discussing the fall of the monarchy. "I wouldn't have thought any family would be brave enough to do that in the Collegium."

"Families do that?" Ruby asked.

"Officially no, but there are a lot of tragic accidents among noble families. A training accident here, an attack by brigands in otherwise secure areas, a crossbow misfire ending a noble life. To say nothing of the allergic attacks people have to various food types they've previously had no allergy to. It's not as though it's common," Weiss said, "But there's usually at least one assassination a year. It sounds bad, but there are a hundred times as many murders in the lower districts."

True, but those were usually because someone was desperate enough to need something. Usually, but not always. There'd been that guy a few years back who mutilated women because he got his jollies off it. Yang had been scared enough to keep them both locked up. In the end, he'd been lured out by the whores under the command of their matron, and the combines forces of several gangs had beaten him to death.

"Have you ever had an assassination attempt?" Ruby asked.

"Never. It's not something a family on my level needs worry about. If anything, suspicion would fall on us because we have more to gain. It's usually families with official positions that get killed, to free up those positions for others to claim. Rarely, very rarely, an heir or heiress will be killed to allow for inheritance to fall on another, usually if that new heir is marrying into the family who ordered the death in the first place."

"You're remarkably easy going about this," Sun pointed out.

"It's a thing that happens. I've never experienced it and my family has never needed to, nor would I ever condone such things. Really, everyone frowns upon it and it normally only happens among the top ten or so families. The Schnee are an old family but they'd fallen on hard times before my father married into them. We're on the lower end of renown."

"I thought Nora's family were poor as well. You said she wouldn't be on a level to marry Ren when you were, so she must be even lower than the Schnee."

"True, but I did say it _normally_ happens among the upper families. There are exceptions. Perhaps Ren's fiancée learned of Nora's affections and sought to remove a competitor. His family aren't exactly prestigious, but there are plenty of families lower down that could gain a lot by wedding him."

_Yours among them,_ Ruby didn't say. It was weird to think Weiss had almost married Ren because her family wanted the prestige, and even weirder that Weiss hadn't been at all upset by the fact. How could she be so blasé about being told who to marry and why? _If it were me, I'd be furious. I get to choose who I love. No one else._

"That's what we're thinking," Sun confirmed. "Apparently, she works a lot with magical objects that explode so it wouldn't take much for someone to sneak in while she's in the cafeteria, sabotage one and then kill her. They must have messed up though because it went off early."

"No wonder she was so startled. Poor girl must be seeing assassins in every shadow. Is the Collegium going to do something?"

"Course!" Sun thumped his chest. "I spent this morning gathering up staff who haven't been working here long for the Specialists to interview."

Ruby perked up. "Why them?"

"Most obvious suspects," Weiss answered. "Many nobles fail to notice the servants, and they have access to every corner of a building to clean it or prepare food. It's the easiest method of poisoning someone, and no doubt the easiest way to access Nora's workshop. After them, you'd consider the staff who have been here longer – but first suspicion must fall on the newer ones. Has anything been found yet?"

"Too early for me to know. The commanders will find out first, then the rank and file and finally it'll drift down to us Newbloods. I'll let you know when it does," he offered. "Until then, it's all scuttlebutt. Not heard of anyone dragged away in chains, though."

There wouldn't be, since all this was a lie anyway. A front. It was there to stop the students having to know a Wildmage was out. Why so much secrecy about it? If they came out and said what it was and asked every student if they knew where their roommates were, they could soon narrow down everyone who had been alone at that time. From there it would be as simple as keeping an eye on them for a few weeks until a surge hit.

Trapping her would be stupidly easy if they came out – and what was the harm to them? Everyone knew _about_ Wildmages being bad and having to be locked up, and only she cared to question why. Most of the nobles would happily throw her in the Sanctum if they knew what she was. If they'd throw their own children in like Cinder, she had no chance.

_They keep feeding us lies. Telling us it's an assassin – they even made it sound more realistic by bringing her explosives and interest in Ren into it._ The rumours came too quickly as well. Like Sun said, it should have taken time for the details to filter down, yet Sun already knew what the initial conclusion of the investigation was? That was a very quick investigation! Suspiciously so. They'd decided on that story ahead of time and purposefully let the information leak down. It'd probably be everywhere by the end of the day and no one would think to question it.

Why, though? Why keep it secret when they had a perfectly good excuse to hunt down a Wildmage? No one even knew what they were capable of, so it wasn't as though it would cause a panic. Why bother with all the secrecy?

"What do you think, Ruby?"

"Hm?" Startled, she blurted out. "It's terrible. Nora shouldn't have to worry about this…"

"Absolutely." Weiss agreed. "Nobles have an obligation to settle their disputes with diplomacy. We're supposed to be better than the lower districts we look over. I hope the one responsible is found out quickly."

"Yeah." Ruby forced herself to smile. "Me too."

/-/

Days came and went without the White Arcana bursting through her door and Ruby slowly began to settle down, even if she couldn't say she fully let go of the paranoia. Sun kept them up to date as best he could, but the news was about what she expected, that the assassin hadn't been found among the staff. The `official story` was that said person must have escaped after the attack, and that they used the attack on the wall as a distraction to get in.

It was amazing what lengths the Collegium would go to.

If nothing else, she was able to lay low with the surge handled. Her power became quiet again, tranquil and fluid to control, responding to her wishes but only when she wanted it to. Before, it had been like a glass full of water, ready to spill out at the slightest jostle, much like it had when Malneux's words about the floods caused her to bring down the wall. The closer she was to surging, the less control she had.

Another benefit of the week ending was that Nora sent a letter to the Azure Arcana saying she'd finished the final enchantment. Being without a workshop had made her work faster to earn the payment and invest in a new one, and the Azure had agreed to pay for both her previously agreed fees _and_ the new workshop if she could finish it quickly. The downside of her working for the Azure was that she reported to them however, which meant that even though it was _she_ who arranged all this, she didn't find out about it until a full day later when she showed up at the Archives and saw people fawning over it.

"Nora finished it!?"

"Yesterday," the Librarian said. "Given all the work you've done, we thought to handle its implementation without bothering you. The maps have already been made for the closest shelves and the Initiates are hard at work."

It was a kindness. They'd not told her because they thought it was a nice thing to do. Ruby stamped down on the boiling rage, reminding herself these people had no idea her life rested on her getting information as quickly as possible. "T-Thank you." Her stammer masked anger as embarrassment. "Is it okay to use? Does it work?"

"It works and yes, it's free to use. We've also added a commission of sorts for Initiates to earn a fixed tithe by mapping out the Archives. You're free to use that to earn a little extra lien if you like. Some are already forming groups to do so to fund their own experiments." That explained the groups with maps and scanning devices discussing routes by the shelves. They had backpacks full of food with them, suggesting a good day or two's foray into the Archives.

Given how large it was, it might take years to map it fully, and people would have to camp out there in the process. It was a daunting prospect but also exciting, especially for the Azure. All those books and all that knowledge just waiting to be discovered.

"We've also named the device," he continued. "Given your input in its design and implementation I thought it only fair to honour you."

Ruby gaped. "It's named after me!?"

The Ruby Rose? The Rose Diviner? The Rose Book Method?

"That's right. We've called it the Rubricator." He failed to notice her face falling. "Rubricators were scribes in ancient times who would look over manuscripts and take part in rubrication – the art of supplementing existing texts with additional information or insight. Given what you've done here, it only made sense."

"Y-Yeah. The Rubricator." It sounded awful. Pretentious. "It's a nice name. I'm honoured. Can I…?" Desperately, she nodded toward it. The Librarian smiled, nodded and gave her shoulder a little push, understanding her hunger even if he mistook it for the typical desire all within the Azure felt. It was excuse enough for her to hurry over and there was surprisingly no one around it. Probably because they'd all queued up from the first second to use it!

The final contraption – The Rubricator, she reminded herself – was a large squat square some one metre tall and three metres wide, arrayed like a desk but tooled in bronze metal that curled up and around it like metallic vines. Beneath those was obsidian so black it seemed to swallow light itself, so perfectly clean and without smudges or fingerprints that it couldn't be anything but magical.

The device _hummed_ to her senses, bristling with convoluted strands of energy that meant nothing to her, but which Nora had apparently planned and organised into a lattice so clever it could recognise and interpret language, store information like a human mind and bring it to the fore. It was incredible, and the solid crystal oval in the centre with the silver plaque beneath it shimmered with energy, the water and the mist trapped within swirling like a whirlpool. There was a single golden quill on the side, attached by a tiny leather strip of cloth to the device. Taking it, Ruby etched out a single word on the plaque.

Wildmage.

The mist swirled and coalesced, binding and twisting in on itself like children in the floods, dunked down and out of sight and up again, tossed here and there without care. Until they began to move together, bind, mould. The letters came slowly and one at a time, forming into a working title.

`_On Wildmages`._

Perfect. Ruby tapped the screen quickly and watched the mist form a sign.

6SE.

"6SE," she murmured, committing it to memory as she wiped her finger over the silver plaque to end the connection. The lens went back to nothingness, ensuring no one would know what she'd looked for. "6SE. 6SE. That's a lot more than the 1A we tested before. How far has the scouting gone? Where are those maps?"

Off by the huge crowd of people in blue robes. The way they crowded around a large map tied vertically between four posts signalled that, though she was relieved to see a bunch of smaller maps that were free to take. The big one was for people to mark down newly scanned shelves so that scribes could make new updated maps day after day.

Stepping away from the loud group of Arcanists, she looked over the map. It was… unique. The map itself was just parchment and ink like any other, but it was unfinished and that made it look strange. There was a circular doorway at the centre which indicated the portal in, then the map just sort of spread out in lines with numbers, but it was clearly unfinished, a living and growing map that would be added to day by day. Currently, the ink sketches covered about half the page, but depending on how vast the Archives really was, they might have to draw smaller and smaller. Or provide some very big maps.

Currently, the map was more expansive to the east and south than it was the west. The north was barely explored at all, only the first two shelving units. The east on the other hand went fourteen deep – and even had a small circle icon that said there was a rest stop, one of those stations where people would stop to eat and sleep. That must have been the scouting teams at work, and some were obviously a lot more dedicated than others. Or desperate for money, answers or a specific book. Contrary to that, the west only went out three shelves. 1W, 2W and 3W.

"The letters are the direction. That's a good way of doing it. That means 6SE is 6 shelves deep to the south-east..." Sure enough she traced the numbers to 6 on the map. A tiny scale at the bottom suggested how far that was, though she _had_ to be judging it wrong. "Twenty kilometres. That can't be right…"

It was accurate.

Knowing the Azure Archives were impossibly large meant little without experiencing it. The knowledge just didn't make sense otherwise. After an hour of walking, the reality started to dawn, and that was when she was between two gargantuan shelves that seemed to go up forever and on just as far, and she realised she could no longer hear any human life behind her, and hadn't been able to for the last fifteen minutes.

Suddenly nervous and surrounded by books, Ruby stopped and turned back, scanning the long corridors formed by the shelves for any sign of activity. There wasn't a single person, nor a figure or a footprint or even a discarded book on the floor. The library was silent. Ominous. Swallowing, she rubbed her arms and considered going back, part of her wanting to sprint all the way.

"No. I can't. I came all this way for a reason. What am I even afraid of? It's just a library…" Out in the slums delivering messages, she'd had long hours to herself as well, though even then there'd been the reassuring hum and noise of everyday life.

The Archives felt absent of it. Devoid of any life, be that human, animal or plant life. It was artificial and empty and somehow all the more frightening for it. Ruby felt something tickle her neck and whirled on one foot, eyes wide and map held out like a dagger.

Nothing. No one. Only her and the goose bumps tickling up and down her skin.

Someone could have gotten lost in the Archives and never be found. Ruby cringed on thinking it, wanting to slap herself for even putting the concept to thought. Ducking low, she ran ahead, heart racing as she imagined the shelves closing in on either side, looming like giant beasts ready to rain books down on and kill her.

A full hour later she reached the rest stop, a bastion of human civilisation and a location where a good twenty or so people were busy reading books, eating or chatting among themselves. They spared a glance for the girl who stumbled into their midst in an exhausted panic but didn't react other than to note her presence and go back to their work. It was almost like they expected the reaction, or at least understood it. Catching her breath and holding her racing heart, she looked up to the sign erected nearby.

`7-East Rest`

Seven east. 7E. A little beyond what she'd been aiming for, but close. Close enough. The rest stop was set on the crossroads between shelves and aisles, and consisted of ten desks with as many benches, two dedicated for food, a campfire and six tents erected in what appeared to be a permanent fashion. Stops like this must have been dotted all over the Archives for people to stop at on their journeys deeper and deeper, which could in some extreme cases take a full week or more.

That wasn't something she could do with lessons. At least 6SE was only two hours in. Four hours give a return journey. It only occurred to her then that two hours really had passed. The Archives was lit as though permanently daytime. Looking up, she realises the ceiling was nowhere to be seen, even if it had to be there. The light was too cool to be sunlight; bright but not warm or gentle. Would it remain like that even as night fell?

Forget getting physically lost, you could lose track of time in this place as well!

Even with that concern, she took a thirty minute rest at the stop, gathering her nerves as much as her strength. According to the map she'd run right past shelf 6 without realising, but it wouldn't be far back. Maybe twenty minutes. From there, she'd need to head south until the shelf bent. Though it had been impossible to tell from the portal, the map made it clear that the shelves weren't actually arrayed in perfect lines, but spreading out from the entranceway in a hexagonal shape, the six corners open for corridors and the straight lines being rows or aisles.

With the reassurance of human life behind her – and the fact said human life hadn't been swallowed up by the library – she made her way back and south, picking through the corridors of books until she eventually found the plaque on the end of one that marked it 6SE.

"Finally…" Peeking around it, she groaned. "Aaand it goes on forever. Come on…" The shelf was easily half a kilometre long and impossibly tall. Searching it all would take even more time, and she had to wonder how the scouting teams had even managed it. Magic, presumably.

Ruby looked back and around. No one was near. Backtracking a few metres, she checked the next corridor along as well, only to find that empty too. There was no one for a good few hundred metres. Stepping back into 6SE, she pushed the map into her pocket and took a deep breath.

"Fire. Give me fire."

Wild magic tingled down her arm like water down a creek, and a small and obedient ball of flame erupted in the palm of her hand, licking her fingers but without any pain. She waited, but no bells tolled.

"It's the surges they react to. If it were wild magic in general, I'd have been screwed the first time I used a spell in class." Her eyes lit up. "That means I'm free to use magic in here!"

Probably not surges though. The bracelet apparently still showed her as being in the Azure Archives when she had that on, so the magic still worked. By that same logic if she came into the Archives to surge, the bells would sense it and alert everyone. It might be a good way to hide where it was but with the Grand Arcanist being of the Azure, he'd not be fooled.

Still, it was useful for now. "Let me hover. I want to be able to levitate."

Wind pushed down against the floor from her feet and Ruby yelped, falling forward as the soles of her feet pushed up off the floor. Her hands slapped against the marble before her face could thankfully, but it smarted.

"Ow! Note to self, being able to fly doesn't mean being able to balance." Glaring back at her feet which were higher up than her body, she sighed. "End. Let go." Her feet fell back down to the floor. "Okay. That didn't work."

It might if she learned how to balance but that would take time she didn't have, not to mention it would only be balance so long as she stood still. If she tried to move and her feet surged forward, her body would fall back and crack her skull on the floor. Or she'd be flying upside down until she hit a bookshelf. Neither option was ideal.

"Find me the right book?" she asked her magic. "Um. Bring `On Wildmages` to me?" Nothing happened. "Ugh. Guess my wild magic can't identify things. Kind of like Nora needing the language book…" Curiously, she looked up and identified a red book well out of reach. She pointed a hand to it. "Come here!"

The book wobbled out and shot down, making Ruby yelp and flinch, only for the book to perfectly hit her hand. It slowed at the last as well, so as not to break her wrist. Even if she hadn't said it, her wild magic responded to her desires, and she hadn't desired to be injured.

"Okay, that worked. Structural Engineering Treatise as by Lord Edward Port?" Ruby pulled a face. "No. Go back where you came from." To her surprise, the book flew out her hand and back up onto the shelf. "Huh. That worked out. Wait a minute…"

Going through every book one by one would take hours, and since she only had about one hour, it would take _days_ to get through them all, especially if it took four hours to get there and back for five hours in total. That was about all she had after lessons! It wouldn't do. There had to be a faster way, and with wild magic, there might just be.

Holding her hand out she `summoned` another book to it, checked the title – Agricultural Advancements of the Ancient Ages – and sent it back to its shelf, then aimed her other hand further on and repeated the process. The book came quickly, the wrong one, and went back to its former place. The whole action took only a few seconds, most of that being her reading and positioning her hand.

"Faster," she willed her wild magic. "Faster."

A new book came. A second. A third. Before the third was read, the first was back on the shelf and a fourth was on its way. The books flew off the tall shelves and floated before her, slapping into her hand to be tossed before her face, caught in her other and sent flying back. To anyone watching from a distance she might have looked like an expert entertainer juggling and tossing books into their respective places. Luckily, no one was around to see at all.

Ten books took thirty seconds at first, but she soon had the process going faster, telling her magic not to summon where she pointed but instead to take the next book along. It responded, ripping books from the shelves in a flurry – and soon she had them passing before her face automatically and without her hands being involved, and at that point she was gated only by the speed at which she could scan the title.

`On Wildmages` was just two words, so any long titles were dismissed without reading them. That sped it up even further and soon Ruby was a whirlwind of books walking down the aisle, tearing them free and scanning covers before hurtling them back. It wouldn't have worked without the Rubricator. Even like this, it was going to take a solid hour to scan the shelf, maybe longer, and if she had to scan every shelf in the whole library, it'd take years. This was twenty kilometres out already! She couldn't imagine how long it would have taken to get her naturally.

Covers whirled and flashed before her. Too long. Too long. First word wasn't `on`. Look, read, discard, repeat. Power flowed through her so easily, so beautifully, and the _thrill_ of it was unmistakeable. Just using her magic felt so good. Viscerally so! Her brain tingled and her eyes watered, pleasure rushing through her small body like a waterfall. Or maybe that was the magic crashing down over and over like she was the stream and it the water, and by letting it flow, she no longer had to struggle to hold it all back.

How could Cinder survive without this? How could anyone? Just the thought of not being able to do this had Ruby weeping. Big, fat tears running down her cheeks as she strode between the shelves like some powerful book wizard.

And then she found it. The book flashed before her eyes a mud-brown in colour with faded text. Only the word `On` features to her eyes, but every book fell out the air as she gasped, slapping down on the floor all around her. Ruby dove and caught the one that had ensnared her, wide eyes reading the text with reverence.

_On Wildmages._

"Found you…"

Sweeping a hand back, Ruby sent all the discarded books onto the shelf, clearing the aisle of all debris. The looming wooden barriers vibrated slightly as she did but held still. In fairness, the Arcanists probably did the same to get their books down, but if how the levitation in class had been was any indication, it would take intense concentration to bring even a single book down and up again, judging the force required to lift it, keep it closed, angle it and slide it back into place without damaging anything. For her, it was but a whim and a flick of the hand.

Sitting down cross legged on the floor, Ruby planted the book in front of her and pulled the cover open, eyes sparkling at the rows and rows of text within.

* * *

**Ruby finally gets her break, and not a second too soon with the surges coming faster and faster and Ironwood and the Specialists closing in.**

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**Next Chapter:** 24th May

**P a treon . com (slash) Coeur **


	42. Chapter 42

**The troll is back sadly, and impersonating me and others in reviews again. You'd have thought they'd get bored after however many months.**

**As has been noted, there is a troll in reviews spamming guest reviews and trying to frame people by writing their name in the name slot. Just ignore it. It's not worth the effort of paying attention to and I'm only writing this message so people are aware.**

**He's also pretending to be me by writing **_**my**_** name in guest review slots. I would only ever review something from this (logged-in) account.**

* * *

**Cover Art:** Z-ComiX

**Chapter 42**

* * *

It quickly became apparent that `On Wildmages` was written by an Arcanist and not a Wildmage, and that it was tinged with the same mistrust the Collegium had towards her kind. The book made no effort to hide it, to the author's credit, with the first lines simply stating:

_Wildmages are the greatest threat to the stability and peace of the Kingdoms._

Not exactly the best start.

Ruby flicked through the first two pages, irritation mounted as the rhetoric continued to hurl accusations toward the Wildmages without explaining anything about their capabilities. It spoke of the importance of hunting Wildmages down, the great work of the White Arcana and dove into the most wonderful hyperbole of how megalomaniacal Wildmages were, always wishing to flaunt their power and bring ruin to innocent people. Twenty pages in, she began to despair.

"There has to be something in here." Flicking on, she scanned further. Biased as it was, it still told the Collegium's side of things which might include details on _why_ she was such a monster as to be hunted down and killed.

/-/

_Upsetting the Balance_

_The greatest magic of the past millennia was not some grand spell or incredible enchanted device of the Black, but the creation of the Collegium system and its implementation across and within each Kingdom of Remnant. Where arcane ability creates disparity in power between equals, the Collegium enforces such rules as to limit the potential for abuse, providing a system that those without power can rely on to bring balance to everyday life. _

_That this arrangement could be introduced in a manner by which the average person would accept it is nothing short of the greatest magic and a matter of dispute and theory to this day. How did early Arcanists convince royalty to allow our stay? How did they convince the people that we would control and limit the danger of magic? How did they convince anyone that a body to judge Arcanists, run by Arcanists, funded by Arcanists and in favour of Arcanists, would be a fair and just system?_

_It is the magic of words, and a reminder that sometimes the quill can hold more power than any cantrip._

_Further investigation into the formation of the Collegiums is not within the purview of my work here, but its importance is tied proportionally to the importance of hunting down and exterminating the Wildmage strain. _

_Stability is only maintained so long as both the Collegium functions and the people believe it to function. It relies on trust, with results only serving to bolster that trust. Without the faith of the people and the royal families, mistrust toward Arcanists would grow, creating strife that might evolve into conflict, conflict that might evolve into war. _

_It is imperative, therefore, that the balance between the Collegium and the people be maintained. _

_Such a balancing act is difficult to maintain. Rogue Arcanists rebel who rebel against the Collegium sow seeds of doubt, while even loyal members who act in their best interests or flaunt their power can remind people that Arcanists are fallible. If enough instances of this abuse of power were revealed, or one was sufficiently great enough, the balance might be broken. It is therefore required of the Collegium to move against such individuals._

_The key is stability. Whether or not the Collegium can prevent all instances of abuse is less important than the perception that it can. As with all laws, some criminals go unpunished, some escape or are never identified as such in the first place. Yet we consider our Kingdoms just, our laws upheld. The onus lays on the Collegium to control the perception of its efficacy, be that through pursuing and punishing those found guilty, or by mitigating and minimising the chance for other breaches to be noted in the first place. _

_Naturally, this lays also in the interests of the people, for if the Collegium is seen as being without fault, not only may they sleep easier, but aspiring Arcanists will enter the Collegium believing to err is to be punished. The system is self-contained and runs today without complication. Both the average man and the average Arcanist believe the Collegium capable of detecting and acting to prevent any abuse of magic, and thus, abuse is discouraged._

_Punishment is not the only form of control the Collegium has in maintaining this balance, however. Control of information in terms of what Arcanists learn is tightly monitored to ensure no potentially harmful or dangerous magics are propagated. For instance, all magics related to the creation or spreading of biological infection are considered anathema and punishable by incarceration within the Sanctum. _

_The Arcanist should have access to means of self-defence as befits his station, but not the means to harm en masse the populace. This naturally weakens the reach and potential of Arcanists, but it is considered an acceptable and even necessary sacrifice, for no amount of posturing would convince the people to accept those with the power to wipe out entire populations at a whim. Other magics are no doubt controlled in a similar manner, many of which I would not be privy to and do not wish to discover. _

_This control is paramount to the success of the Collegium, providing a universal standard across Remnant that every Arcanist will be held to regardless of individual choice of Arcana. It both prevents the most dangerous of spells from being learned, while also encouraging less violent ways of incapacitating enemies (where safely possible). As such, Arcanists are seen as exercising restraint, caution and moderation, invaluable for the continuation of stable relations between the Arcanists and the Kingdoms. _

_Again, it is the perception, for while the Arcanists very well could concoct a plague capable of annihilating a village, and while the Arcanists certainly could summon storms to level armies, and while the Arcanist absolutely does hold the power capable of taking over a Kingdom – this is a fact unknown to the average person, and to the average Arcanist. Thus, stability is maintained as from without as is from within. What an Arcanist is seen to be capable or incapable of is just as – if not more – important as what he or she truly is. _

_That is where Wildmages come in and upset the balance._

_Wildmages are constrained only by their imagination and will. A virulent plague to slaughter a population is a whim and a thought away. Storms to sink fleets are thrown out in tantrum and armies can be crushed asunder with a sweep of a hand. Such power intermingled with immaturity is a dangerous prospect, but every magic of an Arcanist can counter it. An Arcanist can, with training, counter and defeat these spells, banish the plague or heal the sick. Similarly, an Arcanist could, with access to forbidden magics, perform all the same feats, albeit with more effort and time required._

_Therefore, it might be said that the Wildmage is little different from the Arcanist, except only that their magic comes more freely. Alas, that is but the slightest threat the Wildmage poses. A destroyed village with its inhabitants slain is a tragedy, but it is an event that has no further consequence for the Collegium as a whole. _

_The greater danger is in a Wildmage being seen and the witness not dying. The far greater danger is that one might see a Wildmage and an Arcanist side by side and question just how different they really are. If the people were to think such thoughts, the carefully maintained balance that Arcanists have maintained for hundreds of years might be shattered. _

_Stability would falter, noble families would demand action – Arcanists would act independently, believing the Collegium weak and ineffective. Magic would be abused once more and Arcanists would become mistrusted, creating a self-fulfilling prophecy in which the Arcanist must defend himself against the people, fuelling more distrust that will cause the Arcanist to defend himself further. A cycle that can only end in the dissolution of the Collegium and the complete breakdown of the stable relationship between Arcanists and the Kingdoms of Remnant. _

_Chaos would reign. _

_It is therefore imperative that the Wildmages be hunted not once they have committed a crime or once they have garnered such attention as to warrant the Sanctum, but before they might find the opportunity to imperil the balance of power our ancestors worked so hard to create. Their greatest crime is not the bodies they leave behind, nor the damage they might cause, but the fact that their existence might remind the people why Arcanists should be feared, opening eyes – be those plebeian, royal or even Arcanist – to the idea that there are some things the Collegium cannot control._

_The balance, the weave, the spell or even as one might call it, the lie, must not be broken. _

_Whatever the cost._

/-/

Ruby pulled away from the pages, staring down at the damp splotches her bitter tears had left. That was it? This was what it was? All her doubt, all her fear, all her questions on what made her so monstrous, and the truth was that it was nothing?

The truth the Collegium wanted hidden so badly was that Wildmages were hunted solely because it might make the Collegium look bad if they couldn't. It was more complicated than that, but paring it down to the basics, that was it. It reminded her of when Junior had Yang and the Malachites hunt down and kill one of his gang members who welched on them. Junior hadn't really cared about the secret or the runaway but had confided in them that he had to make a big deal of it, or they'd look weak among the other gangs and probably get attacked. They'd been forced to act to save face.

The Arcane Collegium was like a fucking slum gang. Ruby didn't know whether she wanted to laugh or cry, but she punched the floor, wincing as pain both shot up her wrist and a wave of fire rippled out, charring the lower bookshelves and leaving black marks on the floor.

It could have stopped at the plagues. Honestly, she wished it had. If the book just said Wildmages might unleash a plague if they lost concentration and kill thousands of people, she could have accepted it. Yes, she'd never do that, but the Collegium couldn't take the risk of trusting her word, so she could have respected their reasons for pursuing her, faulty or not.

This, though. This was nothing. The only reason they wanted Wildmages gone was so the reputation of Arcanists didn't take a hit. _Which explains why they throw us in the Sanctum. It doesn't matter if we live or die, only that we're out of sight._

Ruby stood, wobbling on one foot as rage coursed through her. She closed her eyes and counted to ten, breathing slowly. The wild magic would only get out of control if she let emotions take over. "Calm," she told herself. "Nothing has changed. They're still after me; I just need to stay hidden."

Reading more would have to wait. It was probably late out already, and Weiss would only start wondering where she was. And if she kept going while this upset, she was going to miss something. Tossing the book aside, she willed it back to its spot, watching it fly up and onto the shelf. After a second's thought, she had it pulled out a little, just enough to hand with one corner sticking out, easier to spot at a distance when she came back for it again.

The Archives were less busy when she reached the portal. There were still some people using the Rubricator or reading away, but it must have been later than she realised because they numbered fewer than fifteen and they were all of them adults and free from lessons. Ruby picked her way to the door, laying her map back down on the stack for someone else to use.

"Initiate Rose," the Librarian called. "A moment please."

"Hm? What is it, Lord Arcanist?"

"A message I was asked to deliver to you." The elderly man reached into his pocket and handed over a sealed envelope. "No doubt regarding your work on the Rubricator. I've already had several Arcanists ask the details of young Miss Valkyrie."

"Is there a problem with it?"

"Not at all. I believe they are looking to have similar tools created, a smaller, more portable version of the Rubricator that will allow them to travel further. If the Archives are as large as we believe, it might be unreasonable to expect those with the scanning implements to travel back to the central Rubricator each time they want to locate a book."

"Oh, you mean putting some in the rest stops?" The Librarian nodded. "Yeah, that'd work, I think. How far away are some of them?"

"The furthest recorded rest stop is five days west of here." Five days!? Ruby's shock must have shown because the man laughed. "Yes, it's quite the distance. I do not mean five days slow walk, either. There were proposals before to bring and breed horses down here, but with how poorly understood the Archives are, it didn't seem worth the effort. With your Rubricator and the updated maps, we may have to explore that again. Worry not, that's not your responsibility to plan."

That was a relief but still, five days? How many miles was that? "Wow. I didn't realise it was that big. Do we know who _created_ the Archives in the first place?"

"Goodness no." The Librarian laughed. "If we did, believe me when I say every Azure would be hunting down his or her secrets. We're little more than guardians and beneficiaries of it now. We don't know its limits, how it works or what secrets it contains. We don't even know if we are alone in here."

Ruby's spine tingled. "W-What does that mean?"

"Just a theory," he said. "But we don't know that our portal is the only one. It's possible there are others with Arcanists accessing it a thousand miles from here, perhaps even from other Kingdoms."

Right. Normal people. Panic subsiding, she let a breath slip out. _I felt like I was being watched back there. Thanks for giving me nightmares._ He'd just meant other entrance points, though, which meant that even if there were other people in the Archives, it'd just be Arcanists from other Collegiums. Nothing to worry about, other than the prospect of travel from one Kingdom to another.

Even if that worked though, it wouldn't be _expedient_ travel. Space seemed to go on forever down here, but it wasn't dilating time or anything of that sort. Marching for miles in the Archives was the same as miles on the surface, so it'd probably be the same as walking to Vacuo, just with books for scenery instead of forest and desert.

Ruby wished the Librarian goodnight and let him go back to his caretaking, slipping over to the staircase before taking the envelope out. The cursive script on the front simply read `Initiate Ruby Rose` in black ink. The wax seal on the back was simple, an `M` in a circle made of flowering vines. Ruby slipped a finger under to break it, pulling out the sheaf of paper within.

_Dear Initiate Rose,_

_I know what you are. I know what you seek. Perhaps we can help one another. Invite yourself to my research chambers so that we may discuss further. And fear not, I would hardly go so far to contact you if it were my wish to see you harmed._

_Your friend,_

_Dr S. Merlot_

Ruby crushed the letter in her fist and bolted for the staircase.

/-/

"Ah. Initiate Rose. Welcome, welcome." Merlot opened the door, his white hair sticking out at odd angles but his smile as charming as it had been the first time he spoke of the wonders of the Azure. "I see you received my message. Wonderful. Won't you come in? Take a seat. Or stand if you prefer." He chuckled, watching her stand stiffly in place. "You look tense, my dear."

"What do you know?"

"Hmm? I know the truth of you."

"What truth?" she demanded. There were more lies than one and he could have found something easier like her not being noble or not from Menagerie. If she acted too soon and got it wrong, she could be in trouble. "What truth are you talking about?"

"Why, the truth that you are a Wild-"

Ruby charged forward, impacted something solid and bounced back with a startled cry. Her back hit the floor and she gasped as something tight and hot burned its way around her body, strands of golden light tying her to the floor. She yanked against them, willing her power to lash out.

"Calm down!" Merlot ordered. "I am no threat to you if you are not to me. Do not do anything reckless or we shall _both of us_ end up in the Sanctum!" The golden bands vanished before she could destroy them. The elderly Arcanist stepped back and spread his hands out wide, gesturing for peace. "I would not have taken the time to write you a letter if I meant you ill, but believe me here and now, should I die, your name will be the _first_ to reach the Grand Arcanist's ears."

Scrambling to her feet, Ruby's heart beat like a drum. This was it. The secret was out. The very moment she'd dreaded. Power coursed through her body and her fingers twitched, burning with energy she instinctively knew could be hurled his way. He'd caught her by surprise with his barrier, but she could tear through, it she knew. Tear through him. And in doing so, expose herself fully.

"What do you want?" Ruby asked. forcing her shaking hands down.

"Is that the first question you should be asking?" Merlot replied. He stepped back and turned his back on her, and for a moment she considered striking. "I should think the bigger question is how I knew and how likely others might be to discover it."

"Alright," she said. "Answer me that."

"There was no single mistake on your part that drew my suspicion, only a culmination of them combined by a confirming incident. You were always a curiously determined young girl, that I noticed the first time I met you. All within the Azure thirst for knowledge but yours was all the more desperate. You did not desire answers; you needed them. Beyond that, you went out your way to forge this new toy the Arcana is falling over themselves to test."

"That doesn't prove anything," she argued.

"On its own, no, but the very moment you entered the Archives, my experiments have become… somewhat more excitable." Merlot chuckled, indicating several large cages. The bars had been torn outwards as though whatever lay inside had forced its way through solid steel. "My captive Grimm all escaped. Most, I dealt with, but the one that did escape bypassed at least a hundred Arcanists to hunt down _two_ Initiates. Initiate Ren, I personally know to be an Arcanist. You, on the other hand, were new. Did you know the Grimm fervently hunt those with magic?"

"No."

"I expected not. And thus, you would not have known that they tend to focus almost fanatically on those displaying _wild_ magic." He looked back over his shoulder, smiling condescendingly. "Grimm will ignore an average person if an Arcanist is nearby, and they will ignore Arcanists if a Wildmage is nearby."

Making them perfect ways to expose her. Ruby swore, eyeing the cages again. They were all empty, and any Grimm there would have gone mad the second she entered. At least the White couldn't use those against her unless they wanted to unleash Grimm in the Collegium. Either way, Merlot had his proof. Irrefutable proof.

"Did you like my gift by the way?"

Her eyes widened. "What?"

"On Wildmages. It took me quite a while to find it for you. Of course, I knew the very first thing you would search for is a book on Wildmages. Why else work so hard on the Rubricator? I had to commission quite a few Initiates to go around scanning books until that one was found, and I took the time to move it to a quiet spot for you to look over."

"It was… illuminating."

"Illuminating? Yes, quite the apt term there. You could practically _feel_ the White Arcana dripping from every page."

"You read it?"

"I did," he admitted. "Not entirely useful for your purposes, but I'm sure it answered a few questions. Before you ask, no, I do not know any more than you do – but I'm willing to assist you in finding out more…"

Generous offer. Ruby hunched her shoulders. "Why should I trust you?"

"You cannot. Of course, I cannot trust you either, can I? You truly considered killing me the moment I let my guard down. How frightening. It wouldn't be difficult for you either, would it? I set up my defences before you arrived but you're aware of them now and the casting time for an Arcanist compared to a Wildmage is not exactly in my favour. If you wish it, I won't survive this meeting."

"And yet here we are. Talking…"

"Indeed. You know why I am part of the Azure, don't you? It's because I share the same thirst you do." He stepped toward her, smile taking an ugly edge. "I need to know the truth as well, Initiate. No, Ruby. My thirst burns as harshly as yours does. Not in the same veins. You seek answers of your power. I seek answers to the Grimm. They're not explicitly related and yet, we can aid one another."

"Why would you want help from a Wildmage?"

"Look at me!" He stood before her. "I'm an old man. I have sought answers to the Grimm for decades and though I have discovered much, the truth still eludes me. I am afraid, Ruby. I am afraid of dying before I can satisfy my thirst. What more horrible fate could you possibly imagine than to dedicate your life to something and fail?" He looked genuinely terrified by the prospect. "I won't have it. If I must risk my life in asking a Wildmage for aid, so be it! If it brings me closer to my revelation, I will consider my life a currency well spent."

"And you," he continued, pointing to her. "You need my assistance. More than you realise. Did you not wonder why Ironwood and Ozpin didn't call on you? It is I who stopped them. At the time Miss Valkyrie's workshop went up in flame, I spoke on your behalf, telling them that you and I had met in the halls, retired to my quarters and spoken deeply of the Archives together."

He lied for her? No, that… but no one had called on her. No one had bothered to ask where she was, which would only make sense if they thought they knew already. Ruby watched him carefully. It wasn't in her to lower her guard, but he had her in a bad spot. Channelling everything Yang had ever taught her, she squared her shoulders and faced him head on. "I'm listening."

"Good. Marvellous!" Merlot cackled madly. "Yes, this will be the beginning of something incredible, I'm sure. And your work for me would hardly be difficult. What I need isn't so much your attention as your presence. The Grimm will almost entirely ignore me while you are present, allowing me to inspect them closer and weave my diagnostic spells without distraction. More than that, since your magic responds to your will, you might be able to influence them in ways I cannot. We shall test that and more. All perfectly safe, I assure you."

Not like she had a choice. "And in return?"

"In return, I shall be most generous! An apprenticeship to myself. All your lessons shall come through me, which will allow you to perfectly dodge any pesky questions as to how you perform your magics. If I say you are studying intently, the Collegium will be forced to accept it. If I say I have definitive proof you are not a Wildmage, it will be taken at face value."

"That… That'd be useful…"

"Indeed. And I shall; go further. Your time is wasted in lessons so we shall focus on what benefits us both. I, to investigate the Grimm and you to have more time to scour the Archives. To delve deeper and further, for I fear the books we both desire will not be found close to the portal. The White will have seen to that."

"What?" she demanded, voice rising in pitch. "But they're not allowed in he-" Her eyes widened. "White-Azure!" she snapped. "Arcanists of both Arcana can access the Archives, and they've probably told the White Arcana all about it!"

"My thoughts exactly, my dear." Merlot snarled in the direction of the wall, and beyond it at where the White Cathedral lay. "Their agents will have long been scouring the closest shelves, and while they cannot sneak the books out, it wouldn't surprise me if they travelled a few days to put them on a shelf deeper in, trusting no one would ever find them again. Or they may even have destroyed them entirely."

No. Those books were her best chance of finding out the truth! Ruby gritted her teeth and trembled, power lapping around her feet. Before she could let it get out of control, Merlot snapped his fingers, ripping her attention away.

"Fear not. The White cannot have found every single book – though I imagine with the use of the Rubricator, they will only hasten their efforts. The furthest reaches are still unexplored. They are rife with mystery and unfound knowledge just waiting to be claimed. Knowledge that the White cannot yet have interfered with."

"I can't go that far, though. If I vanish from the Collegium-"

"You can go that far if I explain why you are," Merlot countered. "As my apprentice, I may teach you how I wish. We are both Azure. Who would argue if we chose a journey for knowledge, I teaching you out in the Archives as we venture deep for a week or more? There, we might hunt for answers. There, none would witness your surges. There, your presence would be accounted for, your tracker placing you in the Azure Archives with myself, and I confirming that we did naught but study. I, providing your alibi."

The perfect excuse. If she surged in the Archives it would be noticeable, but not if she were over fifty miles or more out, hidden by rows upon rows of shelves. The bells would still sense it and search for her, but if Merlot could say they'd been peacefully reading books and doing lessons and vouch for her then the suspicion would be alleviated. He could do a lot to make her life easier but being his apprentice would mean tying her fate to his. And if they were found out, they'd both go to the Sanctum.

_What choice do I have? He hasn't done anything illegal yet, so he could still expose me._ He hadn't brought it up, but that was almost certainly because he knew she'd attack and kill him if he did. Or he thought she would. The idea scared her, especially now that she knew she could, if she lost control, unleash a plague on the entire city. Or just summon a storm to wipe it flat.

"Help me," Merlot said. "And I shall help you." He held his hand out to her, palm upwards. "As one Azure Arcanist to another, irrespective of your station, let us form an alliance. We shall search for knowledge together, to whatever end it might bring us."

"What's to say you won't betray me after you have your answers?"

"The moment you become my apprentice I will have tied my life to yours. It will require me to lie to the Collegium as to how your lessons have progressed, immediately placing me in allegiance with a Wildmage. If you read that book as I know you have, then you know how dimly that shall be looked upon. It matters not whether you or I do ill, only that we have the potential to upset the carefully constructed balance the Collegium relies upon. You and I would be forced to trust in one another, if only because the White shall hunt us both."

Put like that, the only way she could confirm he wouldn't rat her out was to drag him into the fiery pot with her. Swallowing, every nerve protesting, Ruby reached out and gripped his hand, feeling the cloying sweat meet in their palms, aware that she was signing her safety, her future and her life away.

The manic smile that spread across Merlot's face was no comfort.

* * *

**You know, I hate that whenever I use an apprentice relationship in a story – which is a perfectly in-period student teacher relationship for medieval and fantasy times, I still can't not have Emperor Palpatine saying "Yeessss, my apprenticeeee" in the back of my head. "Do it."**

**Really kills the mood I'm building. **

**So, here we are. Ruby has joined the dark side (DAMN IT!). Ahem, Ruby has been manipulated into siding with Merlot, who is running his own experiments and is prepared to risk everything to complete them. Meanwhile, the White has already been active in the Archives, subtly influencing all the Arcana to their way of thinking. **

**How deep will Merlot and Ruby go? Will they find out the story of the Wildmages? It's not a story the White would tell yo-**

**DAMN IT!**

* * *

**Next Chapter: 31****st**** May**

**P a treon . com (slash) Coeur **


	43. Chapter 43

**The troll is back and imitating me and others in the reviews, this time trying to make it look like I'd attack my own reviewers because **_**obviously**_** that's a thing I'd randomly do from a guest account. Ignore the nonsense.**

* * *

**Cover Art:** Z-ComiX

**Chapter 43**

* * *

"An apprenticeship?"

Ruby fidgeted in the seat beside Merlot, trying hard not to draw the attention of the Grand Arcanist, Ironwood and Lady Goodwitch of the White. They'd apparently interrupted a meeting of some importance and given who was in attendance, she couldn't help but think it about her. Merlot said it had to be announced, however. It had to be official.

"I've never heard you speak of the possibility before, old friend." Ozpin said.

"Most here are scions of noble families pushing their silly agendas," Merlot said, dismissively waving a hand. He sat relaxed in one of the comfortable leather seats, his rabbit fur cloak bunched up around his neck like a cushion. "You know what I think of that."

"You always were focused. I've never known someone who encapsulates the Azure quite so well."

They had to be old friends, she thought. They were about a similar age and both from the Azure, and the way they talked didn't have the same awe and respect most people used around the Grand Arcanist.

"There are too many mysteries in the world to sit back and play petty games. Ruby understands that." Merlot gestured to her. "Finally, I've found someone not only worthy of my attention but just as dedicated as I. How could I stand back, Ozpin? How could I ignore this?"

"How indeed? I suppose she caught your attention with her latest achievement. That's understandable. I'm quite eager to test it myself."

"It works exactly as designed, Ozpin."

"Truly? How far mapped is-" A cough from behind had his eyes widening imperceptibly. "Forgive me," he said, chuckling. "The curiosity of the Azure is ever present. You are of course free to offer an apprenticeship as you please, as is Initiate Rose free to accept or decline." He looked to her. "I trust the fact you're here indicates your acceptance?"

Ruby nodded quickly.

"It has to be spoken," Goodwitch said. "Lest we think it forced."

"I agreed to it," she chirped.

"Forgive her," Merlot interrupted. "I believe I embarrassed her with the offer and she's quite concerned how her friends will take the news." He smiled benignly. "You know how jealous some can get."

"Understandable," Ozpin replied. "Well, if that is all then I see no reason not to approve this arrangement. Initiate Rose has shown herself quite talented, both with her recent actions and joining an Arcana so quickly. You are, of course, a well-known and respected member of the Collegium. Given that she is from Menagerie and her house fell, I'm sure there are no suggestions of political favouritism to contend with?"

"None that I can see," Lady Goodwitch said. "The White raises no objection."

"Wonderful. Now, Initiate Rose, are you aware of what being an apprentice entails?"

It was past. The danger, that was. Ruby forced herself to look up and spoke quickly, hoping her anxiety would be mistaken for being due to all the attention. "Lord Merlot has primary control over my education. He can take me out of classes whenever he pleases and teach me what he wishes. I must respect his instructions. I will still be considered an Initiate. The apprenticeship can be taken away from me…"

"Only by consensus of Merlot and independent adjudicators," Ozpin said. "That is to protect against abuse, which I am sure won't be a problem here. Also, you are not free from lessons entirely. Should Merlot have no tuition for you at a given time, you are expected to attend lessons with the other Initiates. It is your responsibility to inform your lecturers when and for how long you shall be absent, and his responsibility to both grant you ample warning and ensure your studies progress. Should you ever feel one or more is lacking or that your mentor is failing you, you may speak directly to a Warden in your dorm, and a meeting shall be arranged either with myself or another high-ranking Arcanist, where we will discuss the fact and any resolutions. This is both a great honour and a great responsibility, for your actions, successes and failures shall reflect on your mentor. You will also be occupying the time of an Arcanist, so be sure to study hard and listen to what is said. Am I understood, Initiate?"

"Yes Grand Arcanist."

"Very good." The old man smiled and settled back in his seat. "Then I approve this arrangement. Merlot, you can report to the Scriptorium tonight or tomorrow to make it official. Please ensure it's done before you do anything-"

"I have a question." Ironwood interrupted, earning both a surprised look from Ozpin and a rather pointedly upset one from Lady Goodwitch.

"Lord Ironwood," she said, "While you are an appreciated guest and member of the White, you are a foreign guest of Vale's Collegium. Please remember that you have no input in everyday matters of the Collegium's running."

"I understand that, Glynda." The lack of a title had her frowning harder. "And I'm not questioning the Grand Arcanist's judgement. I simply have a question for Merlot. Professional curiosity."

Merlot chuckled. "As an Azure, I can only respect that. Go ahead. I am fine with it."

"Thank you." Ironwood nodded and moved around the desk to stand before them. His eyes were fixed both on Merlot _and_ on her. "Your research is something I know about, naturally. It was commissioned and funded by both Vale's Collegium and our own. While I don't question whether you can conduct both that research and teach an apprentice at the same time, I would ask why you would _reveal_ such sensitive information to an Initiate. It seems… awfully reckless of you to endanger her like that. Is she aware of what it is you study?"

"Oh my." Merlot covered his mouth with one hand. "That _would_ be quite unfair of me, wouldn't it? Except, Ruby my dear. Do you know what it is I research? Do tell Lord Ironwood if you do."

"Grimm," she whispered. "He studies Grimm."

Ironwood's eyes widened and even Lady Goodwitch drew in a sharp breath. "That information was to remain confidential, Lord Mer-"

"You may recall I filed a report a week or two back that a Beowolf had escaped within the Azure Archives. I reported that it was stopped, and this was true, but that wasn't before two Initiates saw the beast. One of those was Ruby here. Naturally, I had to explain to them the nature of my research and the importance of keeping it secret. So you see, Lord Ironwood, it was but an accident that led to my research being divulged."

The man's lips thinned. "I see. How unfortunate."

"I would tell no other, naturally, but it does save me the time of having to explain to her," Merlot went on blithely. "Worry not, her work won't involve much time with the Grimm. I will be using her to scour the Archives. Her own curiosity ties in quite nicely with my own and would have undoubtedly led her to researching the Grimm sooner or later."

"And what might that be?" Lord Ironwood asked. "I would hear it from the Initiate herself."

"Of course. Ruby?"

"I want to understand why Menagerie fell."

Lord Ironwood's eyes closed. He let out a long sigh. "Such is a question on everyone's minds. Very well. I retract my question. However, I would advise you not to focus on the Grimm if you seek the truth of Menagerie. They may have been the reason it fell, but they were only the end. The catalyst was not the Grimm but the treacherous Shadow Arcana."

Ruby's heart skipped a beat. "Excuse me…?"

"James." Ozpin spoke firmly, honorific forgotten. His eyes met Ironwood's and some hidden message passed between them. Lord Ironwood nodded slowly and stepped back. Ozpin turned back to her and Merlot with a tight smile. "We shouldn't keep you any longer. Congratulations to both of you. Initiate Rose, study well. Lord Merlot, teach her as best you are able. Good luck to you both."

The dismissal was clear. Ruby rose when Merlot did, fumbled a curtsey and followed her mentor, her new master, with a gnawing worm eating away at her stomach. If the Shadow Arcana were the traitors in all this, then had she left Yang with someone who couldn't be trusted?

Had Blake finding a Wildmage really been as much an accident as she made it sound?

/-/

"You've been invited to be an apprentice?" Weiss sat on her bed, hair wet from the tub and body wrapped in a towel. It almost slipped free as she stared at Ruby, stunned by the news. "That is… I… That's excellent news of course. C – Congratulations. Does this mean you'll no longer be in lessons…?"

"I still have to attend class. I just get some tuition outside it."

"Ah. That's… yes, that's good." Weiss' entire body relaxed. "I'm thrilled for you, obviously. This is incredible news."

Yeah. Incredible. Merlot knew the truth and had that over her head, and even if he'd thrown his own neck on the chopping block that didn't mean he couldn't turn on her. "It's a thing," Ruby said, unsure how excited she should be. "At least I'll still be with you in class."

"Yes. That's a relief. I thought for a second you'd be leaving me alone with Malneux and his cronies."

"Not willingly." Ruby grinned and shucked off her boots, dumping them at her bedside, ignoring the pointed and then irritated look Weiss gave her. "I'll clean them in the morning," she said. "Let me sleep for now."

"We both know you won't clean them at all."

"They're boots. They'll just get dirty again."

"You have an image to maintain. Not that you care." Weiss rolled her eyes. "Really, I'm not even sure why I bother. Your reputation is going to be better than mine now that you're apprenticed to a Lord Arcanist. I expect Malneux will be furious."

"He'll buy a Crimson Arcanist to mentor him."

"Quite possibly. I met one the other day, you know."

"A Crimson?"

"Hm." Weiss continued to towel her hair dry, working moisture out of long strands by squeezing them tightly between her fists. "She was only my age but already an Arcanist of the Crimson and taking her second stone in the White. I could hardly believe it. Why have we been doing that someone like that could already be an Arcanist?"

"How long has she been here for?"

"I didn't ask. Years, at least."

"There you have it. It's not like she came in with us and is one already. Maybe we'll be Arcanists in the time it took her to."

Weiss paused to smile and close her eyes. "Perhaps we will. You're right. It's silly to get worked up over someone else's achievements. For a moment I started to sound like Malneux."

"Not even close. You're not as pig-headed as he is." Ruby paused for a long moment, knowing the news she had to deliver might not be well received. "Merlot-"

"Lord Merlot," Weiss interrupted.

"Merlot," Ruby said, stressing the name only, "told me that he might have me out of lessons for a week soon." The warning caught Weiss' attention. "It's only while we do some research in the Archives. We're going to be looking through books and things."

"For a full week's worth of lessons?"

"No. For a full week. As in, I won't even be coming back to the dorm."

Weiss looked horrified. "You're _sleeping_ in a library? Why? What's the point? It can't take an hour to walk back and forth in the morning."

An hour if it were a normal library. Weiss had no idea how vast the Azure Archives really were. They could be days of walking inside, pitching tents between mighty bookshelves and cooking food over an open fire. Getting that across without revealing the secret of the Archives wasn't easy.

"It's Azure stuff," she said. "I can't explain."

"Really." Weiss huffed. "What can I say to that? I suppose it's something that would make sense if I knew?"

"Yes. Definitely."

"Very well then. But we shall be spending time together when you return!"

"Definitely!" Ruby bounced on her bed. "And it's not like I'm ditching you. It's just something we have to do. I'm gonna tell Jaune and Sun tomorrow. You'll be okay, right? It's only five days of lessons and then I'll be back."

"I shall survive."

"You sure…?"

"I am a Lady of the White Arcana," Weiss said proudly. "We stand firm where all others falter. Such a test of will is well within my capabilities."

Ruby's smile turned sickly at the edges. "Yeah. That's great…"

/-/

To her disappointment, she couldn't find Jaune the following day. He wasn't in morning training when she joined in the running, and he wasn't in his barracks later when she stopped by to talk with Sun.

"Sorry Ruby. I'm not sure what he's been up to lately. Guy's been training like a man possessed."

"Oh…"

"I can tell him you called by, though. I'm sure that'd make him happy."

"Yeah. Okay." There was something in Sun's voice she didn't like, a lingering sense of doubt. "Is he really okay? I haven't seen him in days. He usually eats with us at lunch…"

"Something must have happened on his side. Or maybe he's thinking he needs to pick up his training. I can't even convince the bastard to take it easy. He just shrugs through whatever I say and goes back out to train more. He's going to get white hairs at this rate. More than he has already."

There must have been something going on at the Sanctum. She wished she could go find out what, but she wasn't meant to go near there for now. Hopefully Jaune would explain when he came back from whatever he was doing.

Excusing herself from Sun, she made her way to the Azure Archives and through the halls to Merlot's private chambers. There, she let herself inside and found Merlot arguing with a dark-haired man with a flat expression, leather armour and a pale grey fur cloak. It was a rich thing that fell to the back of his knees. He wore black sable gloves and a single piece of armour strapped over his chest and shoulder, curving under the fur cloak.

"I don't much care for how it's done, only that it is. Your kind barely register to the creatures so capturing some shouldn't be an issue."

"It is not fear for ourselves that stays our hands, Lord Arcanist."

"Don't give me that. You lot are always wearing those smiles and I don't care for it. You have your job. See it done. My apprentice and I shall be within the Archives for a full week. You have that much time to acquire some Grimm. Three should suffice."

The man bowed. "As you wish, Lord Arcanist." He turned and walked to the door, pausing to nod at Ruby. "Lady Initiate."

Ruby smiled. "Hello."

The man cocked his head at her. His eyes were strangely empty, mislike and swirling without any of the warmth she would have expected. Without pride or ego usually shown in nobles or the dismissive fake-politeness of the guards. At best he looked curious by her reaction, but even that was muted. More than anything, the man looked tired. Not physically, but mentally.

"Ruby," Merlot barked. "Let the man leave. He has work to do."

"Oh. Sorry." Stepping aside, she noted the tiniest of smiles the man offered her. So small she thought she might have imagined it. He left soon after, closing the door behind him. "Who was that?" she asked Merlot. "He looked like a noble."

"Most everyone here is a noble," he said dismissively. "Though some are less human than others. That was a huntsman."

Ruby gasped. "From the Sanctum?"

"You know of them? How- No, it's best you don't tell me. Yes, they're the enforcers of the Sanctum and your natural enemy. Inimical to magic and all the less human for it. No Arcanist can stand to be in their presence. There's a pervasive wrongness about them you can feel deep inside…"

"I didn't feel anything."

"Really?" he asked, only half-interested. He swept a hand over his desk, collecting empty notepads, pots of ink and quills. "That must be something unique to Wildmages, then. Have you brought the supplies I told you to?"

Ruby hefted the bags of food she'd brought from the kitchens. The cooks hadn't liked the idea of giving her that much until she showed them the note from Merlot. Instantly, they'd been more willing. It paid to have the word of an Arcanist at your back.

"Good. Help me prepare, then. We're going on a weeklong excursion into the Archives. Food and supplies is a given, but we're also there for research. You shall be carrying the essentials. I shall deal with the theoretical."

Grudgingly, she collected and strapped the camping equipment onto her pack, making it substantially heavier. It was always the apprentice's job to do the busy work the master didn't want to. That was what she'd learned from watching the lucky kids in the farmlands, back when she'd been trying her best to figure out what got them chosen so she could find a master at the apprentice's fair. No luck there. No one had wanted the scrawny girl.

"I managed to acquire a prototype from the Valkyrie girl," he went on. "It will operate like a far smaller version of the Rubricator. I believe it's the one you were sent to test the first time. I've told her to make more, but it is enough that we have a working model for now. We shall be delving deep and out of range of the portal, far enough away to be free of prying eyes."

"And that are we looking for specifically?"

"Anything that fits our interests. Grimm and Wildmages specifically. I have a few other tests I want to perform while we're out there, but we shall leave those for when I judge it safe. Mostly, we just want to be far enough away that no one can doubt when I tell them I've spent six hours a day teaching you various spells."

"You want to dodge the work?"

"I want to streamline our arrangement," he countered. "It benefits you as well. No one will know exactly what I've taught you, so keep it a secret. Should you ever use a spell you shouldn't be capable of, you can claim I taught you it."

Fair enough. He got out of having to do the work and got a Wildmage to scour through books and act as Grimm bait, and she got a way out of any accidental uses of wild magic. Even if she hurt someone, she could just claim it was because she lost control of the spell. Strapping the pots and pans to her pack, Ruby hefted it up onto her shoulders and stood at the ready.

"Your lack of nobility is showing," Merlot pointed out.

"Hah-?"

"No noble would carry a pack." He waved a finger and her pack began to lift, her with it. "Nor would an Arcanist."

"B-But I wouldn't know this spell yet."

"Hmm." Merlot hummed for a moment and then sighed. "I shall levitate it down and for the first while, but you shall do it after. If anyone asks, tell them it was the first spell I taught you. It would be natural for me to do so considering what it is we're doing. Make sure to drop things every now and then when in public. Create the illusion you're learning slowly."

"Okay."

"And refer to me as Lord or Lord Merlot in public."

"Yes Lord Merlot."

"Better." He waved a hand for her to follow. "Come."

They made their way through the building together. The upper levels of the Archives were as quiet as ever. It surprised her how she'd never noticed that the first time, but then she hadn't grasped just how many Arcanists there were. Knowing it now, it seemed so obvious that the Azure Arcana couldn't be as small as the numbers suggested.

People had to move out Merlot's way as he led them down the staircase in the secret corridor, floating large packs behind him. No one looked surprised, though. They must have seen people heading off for long excursions before. Inside, Merlot bid her wait with the packs by the bottom of the stairs while he went to speak with the Librarian.

A few people looked her way as they walked by, Ruby sitting on the resting packs, but no one bothered to speak with her. The Librarian and Merlot's conversation became animated, gestures shared as they argued for what felt like an age. Ruby kicked her feet as she waited and watched, Arcanists and Initiates coming and going with books in hand. It took a good ten minutes for Merlot to return.

"Old fossil," he bit out. "He wants us to explore the south – it's the focus of the most expansion at the moment."

"Will we be?" she asked.

"No. We want to be away from where most of the Azure are. We shall head west. It's the least explored area and that piques my interest." In a lower voice he said, "The White will use the Rubricator just as we do. It wouldn't surprise me if some White-Black Arcanists had been given a chance to tamper on it, or if they won't have their own soon, which taps into ours. They'll use that to locate and dispose of any books they feel we shouldn't have access to."

"Is the Librarian with them…?"

"He's not of the White, but it wouldn't surprise me if he knew. It's of no matter. He can bluster and complain all he likes but it is _my_ choice where I take my apprentice." He waved a hand and Ruby squawked, tumbling off the packs as they lurched up beneath her. "Come. We'll be keeping quite the pace for the first while. As much as we might wish it, there are no horses down here yet."

"Shouldn't we have waited until there are?"

"And give the White a chance to censor everything they can?" Merlot snorted and moved on, trusting her to follow. "I think not."

/-/

"Sitting alone again, Lady Schnee?"

Weiss sighed. It hadn't taken more than their first lecture of the day for people to notice the lack of Ruby and comment on it. The teacher had prevented any rumours falling afoul for her friend and announced the apprenticeship. Weiss had enjoyed the looks of shock and envy on the various faces. That saved Ruby any loss of face but didn't do much for her.

"Lord Malneux," she replied formally. "I'm merely taking my seat as I always do. Is there a problem?"

"Only that your companion appears to have left you." He paused for effect, allowing others nearby to turn to listen in. Mockery with no one to witness your victory served no purpose after all. "As the proud scion of the Malneux family, it falls to me to see this affront rebuffed. Come sit with us. I'm sure we can make room for you."

"A most generous offer-"

"It _is_ generous, no? And it would be quite the insult to refuse."

Weiss refrained from biting her lip. It was a bad habit and a sign of weakness. Recalling her lessons, she blinked slowly and rose, picking up her books. As much as Ruby might not care, the Malneux family _were_ influential. Hers was not. It would be seen as a rejection of his `generous` offer for her to refuse him. An insult the likes of which he and his family might remember.

"Wonderful." His ugly smile belied his satisfaction. Weiss walked over woodenly, thanking him quietly as he drew out a seat for her. It would have been incredibly childish for him to pull it back and make her fall. People would laugh at her misfortune, but they would also talk of Martyn's less-than-genteel actions in private. He maintained the guise of the perfect gentleman and tucked her seat under. "My lady graces us with her presence today," he told his lackeys. "Do remember your manners. Lady Schnee's family is new to the upper echelons of society, but no less deserving of their place."

_Thank you for the reminder,_ she thought, gritting her teeth.

For all that he was a spiteful and arrogant sort, Martyn was attractive and wealthy and the sole heir of his family, Ruby's rumours of a second notwithstanding. Either way, that made him popular. More so because he didn't have a marriage match of yet. That could be seen as a weakness for many – and certainly was for her – but the Malneux family were well-off enough to not bother pushing, which instead left them looking so strong they didn't _need_ to forge alliances.

There were greater families in the Collegium, the Arc and the Lie families for instance, but they weren't in this class. Martyn Malneux was the highest ranked, which was what made it so scandalous that an outsider like Ruby Rose could and would stand up to him. _This is what class would be like without her,_ Weiss thought. _This is why Martyn hates her so. Because she doesn't bow down and let him take control._

"I heard your sister has been accepted into the Royal Guard," Martyn said. "Winter, wasn't it?"

"That's right. On both accounts."

"You must be proud of her."

"We are," she said politely.

"She is engaged to the second heir of the Daichi family, isn't she?" At her nod, he hummed. "Quite a middle of the pack family for a Royal Guard to marry into, isn't it?"

Yes, it was. The Daichi family weren't particularly wealthy or well placed, and to only have the _second_ in line offered up for her hand was a grave insult. Of course, the Daichi family no doubt thought that as well. The only reason they had accepted at all was because of the title Winter held, with the family she belonged to being an afterthought. For Weiss, who had always looked up to her sister, it was an unforgivable sleight.

To her father, it was an ambitious and almost desperately fortunate arrangement. Knights were not exactly favoured when it came to selecting brides. Many preferred the blushing and doting ladies of court, or the quiet and mysterious Arcanists. At least Yatsuhashi Daichi was polite, or so Winter said. Even if he was ten years younger than she. Another blatant insult.

"I had the pleasure of watching her fight in last years' tournament," Martyn simpered. "Even if she walks in armour, she was quite the beauty. Tall and willowy." He eyed her, the comparison – and her lacking stature – strongly hinted. "Had I been older, I might not have rejected a suit from her."

Weiss glared down at the table. "I'm sure she would be flattered to hear that, Lord Malneux."

"You may feel free to tell her," he said magnanimously. "Alas, I would not intrude on an established contract. No, no, those sorts of affairs are best left for the romance stories. I suppose I'm fortunate there, free to pick my own bride."

"I suppose you are."

"And you, Lady Schnee?"

"I am under no obligation," she said, trying to dodge the topic.

He didn't let her. "Not currently no, but wasn't there talk of an attempted match between yourself and the first heir of the Arc family?" He waited for her to answer even if he knew well enough the truth. So did others around him, tittering along. "Whatever happened there?"

He would make her admit it, the swine. Weiss forced her eyes ahead, sitting with shoulders firm as she ground out the answer. "It did not work out."

"And the Lie family?"

"We mutually agreed against it."

"Did you not also meet with the Callows? That was quite the scandal, I hear. Isn't he fifteen years older than you?"

Weiss closed her eyes and hissed, "Yes."

"He died recently, didn't he? A tragedy. At least you avoided being widowed at such a young age, but still, it's surprising just how many families you've gone to. How many is it now? Do you remember?"

"Fifteen," she whispered.

"What was that? I couldn't hear you."

"Fifteen," she said, voice louder. Her stomach had already dropped to her heels, chin falling but a fraction of an inch. Her voice came out hoarse. "There have been fifteen such arrangements. I… I have perhaps been too demanding…" It was a weak effort to save her pride and one no one fell for. Everyone knew it was not she who turned down suitors, but suitors who turned down her.

"I see. I can respect someone with a discerning eye."

And he, of course, played along. It would have been bad enough to call her lie, but to pretend to believe it – and in so sarcastic a manner – was far worse. Weiss wanted to shrink beneath the desk, curl up and cry, but no noble could survive such a thing. All she could do was stand her ground. There was scant strength to be found in allowing yourself to be mocked, but even they would offer some tiny amount of respect for staying firm.

"I may know a few young men without contracts," Martyn said. "I'll see to introducing you to them. Who can say if you will get along, but it's my choice – nay, my duty – to help those less fortunate. What say you, Lady Schnee?"

"You need not bother yourself on my behalf."

"Nonsense." He took her hand and brought it to his lips. Weiss _felt_ the smirk as he kissed her knuckles. "It's no bother to spend time with a pretty lady, though I hope you understand it would have to be with others. It wouldn't do for anyone to mistake our time spent together as being anything more than assistance."

"Of course not…"

Because he was of the Malneux, and she was just a Schnee. Even if he wanted to mock her, the mere _suggestion_ that she be on a level as to be considered worth of marrying him was laughable. It had been far more so when her father grew ambitious and tried to wed her to Jaune Arc. Oh, how the families had laughed at them behind their backs. It was only pity from the Arc family that saved their reputation, with Jaune agreeing to spend time with her regardless of the impossibility of their union.

That had damaged them. Damaged her. Weiss wasn't deaf to the names they whispered behind her back. The Desperate Schnee. Or the Desperate Schnees, seeing as how Winter had been forced to settle for marrying someone only on the cusp of adulthood.

"Do you accept then? We have a few families who are wards of our own. They are not high families, but there might be a second or third heir that would agree to spend time with you. I'll arrange a dinner date and see to inviting them."

"T-Thank you, Lord Malneux." Weiss refused to acknowledge the dryness in her eyes. "You're too kind."

His smile as he leaned back for his audience was nothing short of radiant. "But of course. Noblesse oblige, my dear. Noblesse oblige."

The lesson hadn't even begun, it wasn't yet the second day of Ruby's absence, and already she was on the verge of breaking down. With six or more to go and Ruby's return not even set for a specific date, she wondered what state she might be in when it came.

* * *

**Aww Weiss. You've gotten used to having Ruby around and now she's run off to become apprenticed to an Arcanist and leave you behind, even after you tried to emulate her by joining an Arcana early. **

"**Notice me, Ruby! Notice meee!"**

* * *

**Next Chapter: 7****th**** June**

**P a treon . com (slash) Coeur **


	44. Chapter 44

**The troll is back and imitating me and others in the reviews, this time trying to make it look like I'd attack my own reviewers because ****_obviously_**** that's a thing I'd randomly do from a guest account. Ignore the nonsense.**

* * *

**Cover Art:** Z-ComiX

**Chapter 44**

* * *

Ruby had long since lost track of their location and the time when Merlot called for them to stop. With light penetrating down unendingly from a ceiling that couldn't be seen, it was hard to tell if a day had passed at all, only that she was tired, hungry and desperate to relieve herself and suddenly aware that they were stuck in a library.

"Do your business behind a shelf," Merlot said dismissively. "Just be sure to burn it after it the thought bothers you. I'm sure a Wildmage can think up a way to do so."

One short trip and an embarrassing moment later Ruby came back to find a small camp having erected itself. Two small tents, a cooking pot without wood for burning and a few small packages of food stacked by it.

"The pot will heat itself when you tap the side. It will turn off once it is empty."

"Uh." Ruby looked down at it and then back at him. "Okay…?"

He sighed. "Must I explain everything? Cook, girl. You're my apprentice."

"I don't know how to cook."

"Then I suggest you learn quickly."

He left it at that, walking away to explore the shelves with Nora's prototype Rubricator. Their camp had been set up between two towering bookshelves and halfway between the end and beginning point. There were no signs of human life having come before, and no sight or sound of those they'd left behind. Ruby's stomach grumbled unhappily, and she trudged over to crouch by the pot.

Fortunately, the cooks at the Collegium had planned ahead – or maybe they'd just known nobles wouldn't know how to cook. The food was wrapped in paper with twine sealed around it and contained little labels on how to prepare it. Most of it was relatively simple. Cook this until brown. Heat until bubbling and wait two minutes. Empty contents into boiling water and stir. Serve when soft.

_I wish Yang was here,_ she thought, upending some water into the pot, and pressing the side to start it heating away. Yang was old enough to remember mom and the cooking lessons Yang assured her they'd both sat through.

It wasn't often they had food that needed to be cooked, only after a bumper harvest when the farms would flog off the produce they couldn't fit in stores. You could buy potatoes and carrots for cheap then, and Yang would make a hearty stew that'd have them both lounging around with warm tummies and luxurious smiles. Other times, they'd pool lien for some bread, which could last longer if you didn't mind it going hard, and that would fill you better and cost less. Even wood for a fire was problematic in the slums. You either had to peel it off somewhere or brave the outskirts.

The water began to bubble and Ruby toppled the chopped cubes of beef in, watching them splash away and start to sizzle. Instantly, she was hit by the smell of it and had to wipe her watering mouth clean. The vegetables went in after, and she took to pushing it around with a heavy wooden spoon, stomach rumbling as she juices ran out to turn the broth thick and meaty.

Merlot came back minutes later and accepted the bowl she offered, not even commenting on the fact hers was empty and she was already dipping it in for a second helping. The Arcanist sat on a rolled-up pack of blankets and set the Rubricator by his feet. He spoke between bites, letting her scarf her food down in silence.

"I wager that few have travelled this far since the Archive's initial discovery. The books here should be free from tampering. What surprises me is their state, however. No dust on any of them, or the shelves or even the floor. Is it magic that keeps it clean or is the Archives kept to secure that dust cannot settle?"

Ruby mumbled past the wooden spoon, slurping her tongue around it to chase every bit of broth. She even topped the bowl back, drinking the remnants before looking imploringly at the pot. Merlot sighed.

"Help yourself. We are well stocked."

"Thank you!" she chirped, diving in for a third bowl.

"We will need to be cautious about what we find," he continued. "Anything this prototype reports back to the original Rubricator will be known by the White-Azure Arcanists, who will undoubtedly move quickly to locate and deal with any offending tomes."

"Mm. Can't we not scan them?"

"We could, and we could then manually write down their location for our own use, but then we would be unable to use the Rubricator to hasten our search. Even if you can look through the books quickly, I cannot, and neither of us can work faster than the scanning tool levitated up and down the aisles."

"Maybe if we hide the book?"

"Yes. That's possible." He flicked a hand toward her. "However, that would then alert the White-Azure to the fact someone is looking for them. You may as well announce our Wildmage's presence within the Arcana. You – we – cannot afford for that to happen."

"Then -hm." Ruby swallowed and set the bowl down, finally full. "Then we need to read through anything we find before they take it away."

"Indeed. We shall have to place them back where we found them and act as though we didn't care. That shouldn't be a problem. Once we bring the prototype back it will have memory of thousands of books. No one could accuse us of ill."

"Can we make copies?"

"If you wish to waste ten or twelve hours transcribing one, yes."

Ruby winced. "There's no magic for it?"

"Your Wildmage is showing," he said snidely. "Do keep in mind that for every other Arcanist, the requirement to make a quill write would be to control every aspect of its movement, angling and applying pressure when you wish to write, relieving it when you need to stop and then redirecting the force – perhaps wind – to move it to the next letter. Each page would be agony, almost certainly taking more time than it would to write it out by hand. To say nothing of the mental strain of having to concentrate that hard."

"I was only asking…"

"Yes, and you were asking a question that would have any Arcanist scratching their head. Do remember that you carry both of us now, Initiate. Reveal yourself and it shall be more than just you who suffers the Sanctum."

"R-Right." Ruby looked down. "Sorry."

"Apologies mean nothing without action." He set his bowl down and stood. "Ensure it does not happen again and I shall have no complaint. Now come. We have work to do before we might rest."

/-/

Wildmagic swirled through her veins as she swept her hand back and forth, whisking the scanning device from one end of the aisle to the other, across the level of a single shelf and passing over each book in line. Once it reached the end, she pointed her hand down a level and then swept it back, scanning the gargantuan units shelf by shelf.

Behind her and sat back at camp Merlot held the memory box from the prototype in his lap, scribbling occasionally on the plaque to read through its contents. He hadn't leapt up or called out yet, so they hadn't found any books relevant to their interests in the last hour. Sighing, Ruby swept the scanner along the bottom shelf, summoned it back to her hand and trudged glumly onto the next. The process repeated.

"We have passed by over a thousand bookshelves in our travels," Merlot called to her as she finished another shelf and stomped past him. "And there are surely over one hundred thousand more if there is a limit at all. This will take time."

"I'm aware of that!"

"Then do stop sulking."

_Do stop sulking,_ Ruby mimed the words at the air, tossing her head and hurling the scanner out. Her Wildmagic took hold of it before she could damage it, sending it spinning off to the edge of the new bookshelf. _I don't see you doing anything useful. Carrying bags, cooking food and now doing all the work here, did I sign up to be an apprentice or a servant?_

"If there are that many books here, is there even a chance we'll find the ones we want?" she called back.

"There is always a chance, though admittedly it is small. What would you prefer to do?"

"Isn't there a better way?"

"Of course." He didn't look up from the prototype. "You can complete your study in the Arcana, earn your gemstone and then join the White. I'm sure they have the answers you're looking for. All you need to do is earn their trust without being discovered, incarcerated or killed."

Ugh. Ruby scanned along another shelf and down a second, reaching the ground and turning to repeat the process on the huge case behind her. _They're all identical. Aside from the books on them, they're the exact same height, the exact same wood and perfectly clean. It's unnatural._ The stupidity of thinking that in an endless library hidden under a building occurred to her a second later.

Everything was unnatural about the Archives. The shelves were the least of it.

On hour passed into two and Ruby's hand started to feel like it was about to drop off. Her head was hurting too, not from any lack of magic but constantly having to look left to right, right to left, left to right for all the shelves. Finishing the one she was on, she began the trek back to camp. Two hours of scanning had taken her a good two hundred metres away.

"Finished?" Merlot asked once she returned.

"Tired. My head hurts…"

"I should think so. Aside from ease of casting, it appears stamina is another advantage inherent to Wildmages. Even an experienced Arcanist would have given up after an hour."

Ruby glowered. "That was a test?"

"No. We needed the shelves scanned. Consider it more a bonus observation." He flicked the page in the book he was reading. "We may not have found any tomes on Wildmages, but we've learned something. It's better than nothing."

"What book is that? Did you find one on Grimm?"

"Alas, no. This is a study of the Archives itself written by someone of the Azure over sixty years ago. It's rather patchy – more guesswork than fact – but it's interesting enough and there's little else for me to do." He looked up briefly. "You may sleep if you wish. There's no need for either of us to keep watch in here."

"Are you sure? I felt… This place feels ominous…"

"I am sure. I've camped out alone before, and no watches are kept on the rest points off to the east. As for ominous, I expect that has more to do with how strange this place is. The human body rebels at such wrongness and we create terrors in our own mind, like when exploring a graveyard late at night. Ghosts do not exist, and yet the atmosphere has us believing it all the same."

The Archives didn't share much in common with a graveyard, she felt like saying. There was definitely something off with it, though. The tall cases were claustrophobic and the unceasing and undimming light made her uneasy. Maybe it was just her mind. If the Archives was an enchanted object made by some Black Arcanist in the distant past, then it would be like what Nora made – an object that did its job and nothing more.

"I'll go to bed then," she said, crawling to the closest tent and untying the cloth knots. Inside, her bedroll was waiting for her, less comfortable than what she had back in the dorm, but still warmer and softer than the tatty sheets back home.

Merlot continued to read as she tied the tent flap shut.

/-/

The second day passed as similar to the first. They travelled for eight or so hours, set up camp and then scanned the shelves, this time with Merlot chipping in a little, though still managing so much less than her. In the space of two hours, they'd still found nothing and Merlot had them eat before marching again, covering another four hours before they stopped, repeated the process and made slept the second night away.

It was easier than the first. The lack of any interruption or problems took her fear away, and although the archives were deathly and uneasily silent, having another person nearby helped, even if it was just the sound of his breathing, footsteps and the way he hummed when reading something interesting.

Without it, Ruby wasn't sure she could have coped. The absolute lack of all human life was terrifying, and more so when she had to roam further to scan shelves. The feeling was hard to explain, only that the air would close in around her and leave her shaking. The sound of her own breathing would become louder, even her heartbeat drumming in her head, and she'd panic and hurry back to Merlot to remind herself she wasn't alone.

"There are those who have gone insane when imprisoned in solitary confinement," Merlot told her when she brought it up. "Your reaction isn't too worrying."

Nothing worrying about potentially going mad? That was Merlot for you. He'd probably trade his sanity away for knowledge, and he reminded her of the mad scholars in those old tales Dad would tell her and Yang, the ones who found `forbidden knowledge` and were driven insane by it. If he could bring himself to get that worked up, that was. He continued to read the book on the Archives itself, occasionally offering little bits of wisdom.

"The Archives moves on its own when no one is looking."

Ruby froze, sandwich hovering before her mouth. All of a sudden, she didn't feel quite so hungry. "W-What…?" Silver eyes flicked to the shelves on either side of them, waiting for them to lunge. "W-What do you mean it moves…?"

"Hm?" He looked up. "Oh, not the shelves," he said, closing the book with a soft chuckle. "The books move. I expect it's a feature of the magic involved in this place, that books are sorted and moved to shelves. How else do you imagine so many shelves were stocked? By an army of a million librarians?"

"I guess? I mean, yeah, that wouldn't make sense." There were just too many, and with the entrance so far away from here, it didn't make sense to travel so far. "Does that mean books are just teleported in here, then?"

"Perhaps. The Archives might include a copy of every existing book. Or perhaps it takes them. I can't say for sure. Clearly, it's controlled or limited in some form or we'd end up in a world where books don't exist because the Archive has eaten them all." He laughed, not noticing her panic at the word `eat`. "The Archives also keeps its books in order, retrieving and moving them back to their shelves."

"How do you know?"

"This." He hefted the book he'd been reading for over a day now. "The final excerpt detailed how the author intended to leave the book by the portal for further researchers to work on. However, it's all the way over here. It was moved."

"Maybe someone put it back here."

"Why?" he asked. "Why would an Arcanist or Initiate move it against the author's will? And so far, too. That's quite a trek to hide an unassuming book."

"But the White Arcana does it. You said they steal books. How could they if the books always go back to the right spot?"

"The Archives magic clearly doesn't extend outside of it. They must have removed them entirely." He smiled and sat the book down. "It's only a theory for now. I may be incorrect, though I doubt it. Haven't you noticed how every shelf is perfectly maintained? I doubt in all the time the Archives has stood, no one hasn't knocked a shelf over by accident or lost a book, and yet they're all neatly stacked."

He had a point. Most of the Azure respected it enough to take the books back where they'd found them, but it was hard to imagine everyone was that way. Some must have tossed them aside or made a mess they didn't bother to clean up. Unless the Librarian was doing all that, someone else – or something – was.

"We can do a simple experiment," Merlot said. He approached the closest shelf and began taking books out, tossing them on the floor around their camp.

"W-Wait. Is this a good idea? What if you upset the Archives!?"

"It's not alive, Initiate. It's a magical creation."

"Yeah, but, what if it decides the best way to fulfil its goal of keeping the place clean is to kill the ones making a mess? We don't know who made it, why or what they gave it the power to do." All of which Merlot was ignoring as he swept his hand along tumbling books to the floor. Ruby cringed and brought her knees up to her chest, looking around worriedly.

"There. A nice mess. Oh worry not, if it's still a problem come morning, we can clean it up easily enough." He headed to his tent, stooping low to crawl in. "Make sure to go to sleep early. We're two days in without anything to show for it."

Ruby waited for him to close the flap and tie it shut, and even then she kept looking around them, feeling the oppressive silence of the Azure Archive closing in. Watching. "Sorry," she whispered, unsure if she should talk at all. "I tried to tell him."

No answer. Nothing. Not even the distant sound of an insect. There were none to be found here, only books. Books and silence carrying on for eternity. Intimidated by it, Ruby scurried into her tent and pulled it shut.

The books were gone by morning.

All of them.

"Incredible, isn't it?" Merlot enthused.

"More like terrifying," she mumbled back. "Someone – or _something_ – came into our camp last night and we never heard it. How are you not worried by that?"

"It's magic, my dear. There's no need for it."

"Fine. Then magic happened in our camp right next to us and we didn't notice!" If she snapped, it was only because of how on edge she was. "What if that magic decided to take _us_ onto a shelf as well? Squash us into one or crush us or sweep up away?"

"It doesn't work like that. The Archives was made for a reason, and considering we've been using it for well over a hundred years without incident, I doubt that reason is to murder people. A library exists to be used." He turned away, waving a hand for her to follow. "You have more pressing problems to concern yourself with than imagining enemies here, Wildmage. Now pick up the equipment. It's time we move on."

Growling, Ruby willed all the tents and bags and equipment into the air, hauling them behind her.

"And do remember to look like you're struggling with that. No Arcanist could look so bored carrying so much."

"Yes sir…"

/-/

"Well." Merlot for once wore an uncomfortable expression as he looked down on their latest findings. "I suppose my telling you not to worry isn't going to have much effect now, is it?"

Ruby didn't answer. Her eyes were locked on the bleached skull propped up on a shattered ribcage attached to a skeleton hunched at the foot of a bookshelf. It was a human skeleton, one that looked to be sitting down for a rest. One its owner hadn't awoken from.

"D-Do people die down here?"

"Yes." Merlot's answer was immediate. "It's rare but it happens. Getting lost and starving to death is the common cause, though we've also found people who have died due to other accidents." He eyed her. "Mostly falling and cracking their heads open. Usually Initiates who don't have the control to levitate a book down but want something from an upper shelf. Broken backs and legs as well. Sometimes we find them in time to render treatment. Other times…? Well, it depends how far out you are when it happens."

"We're three days out…"

"Yes. This poor fellow might have gotten lost. No amount of shouting would reach the portal and I'm not convinced anyone would see a spell cast into the air either. Whether he came with limited supplies or burned through them we'll never known, but the poor fellow must have lost his strength and sat here."

And died.

Ruby looked away, the uncomfortable feeling in her gut growing stronger still. They'd taken a straight path and getting home wouldn't be a problem, but she couldn't help but imagine the bookcases moving, sliding shut like a trap behind them. One of them grated suddenly and they both whirled.

"Ruby!" Merlot barked.

"I – I don't know. I heard it too-"

"No. It's you!" He took and shook her shoulder and the bookcase behind them stopped moving. Merlot sighed and pushed her shoulder away. "Your magic works on instinct, you silly thing. Did you imagine the shelves moving?"

"I… I…" The shame showed on her face. "Yes…"

"You willed it and your magic responded. Keep better hold of it." He sighed and shook his head. "For a second there you even had me on edge. We are safe here. Our route is clear, our supplies more than a day in our favour and all the shelves we've passed by tagged with the plaques we brought for the Rubricator. Even if we had lost our bearing, all we'd need to is follow the numbered shelves home."

Right. Because this part of the Archives as unexplored. And because the plaques now showed the number based on how far away they were from the portal. Aside from helping people find the books they wanted, the Rubricator would also guide people back home. Maybe so that a tragedy like this wouldn't have to happen again.

"I'm sorry, sir," she said. "I let my imagination get the better of me."

"You did. Make sure it doesn't happen again."

Merlot knelt and touched the blueish robes clinging loosely around the skeleton's pelvic bones. They'd slipped down as the body's mass deteriorated. Ruby winced as Merlot's hands pushed into the robes without any concern for the fallen Arcanist.

"What are you doing?"

"My duty," he replied. "We are told to bring back identification to the Collegium. Don't you think this one's family deserve to know what happened?"

"Yeah. I guess so."

"He's one of us," Merlot said, pushing the robes away. Dusty as they were, faded with age, there was no mistaking the blue tint that marked him as one of the Azure. "If you ever find an Arcanist fallen, either within the Collegium or without, your first objective should be to bring their Arcanum home. The Collegium gets rather upset if you don't. Unless it's a threat to you, of course. No one is asking you to risk your life unnecessarily. Common sense is yours to exerci- Ah." He tugged on something heavy, dragging robes up with him. "Let's see now. Oh…"

The silver Arcanum slipped free, glistening as though it hadn't been laid on a dead body for however knows how long. The circular emblem was different to what Merlot wore, however. Instead of the entwined snake forming two sockets, the silver was formed into the snarling head of a wolf, one of its eyes glinting blue and the other a murky grey.

"Azure-Shadow. From Menagerie." Merlot stood, inspecting it with wide eyes. "Could this be a traveller from that Collegium? There are other portals into the Archives, though we shouldn't be anywhere near even the closest of them. He must have strayed far in his search for food."

Ruby knelt and pushed the robes down, racing heart allowing her to ignore what she was touching. Something else had caught her eye, a glint of metal that any thief would notice. A dagger that had fallen by his right hand and been covered by fabric.

"What's that?" Merlot asked curiously.

"A weapon."

"Hm. Mayhaps he took his own life."

Ruby swallowed fearfully. "I… I don't think he did…" Her hands drew the robes lower, revealing the horrifying crack that ran up his right leg and hip bone, along with the huge puncturing holes driven into it. They hadn't noticed with the robes about its legs, but one was missing, all but torn away. "I don't think he was looking for food. I think he was running away from something. And that something caught up with him."

"Impossible! The Archives would not harm someone!"

"But you said there was a portal for each of the Collegiums. Wouldn't that include Menagerie?"

"Yes. Of course. What would-" Merlot's eyes widened. "Menagerie fell to the Grimm…" He pulled away suddenly, yanking on the chain connecting the Arcanum to the skeleton's neck. It pulled up and off, knocking the skull loose.

It struck the floor with a loud and echoing _clack_, bouncing twice before coming to a stop.

Ruby held her breath, as did Merlot beside her, the two of them frozen and waiting, listening. Nothing. No response other than the silence of books and the overwhelming emptiness of the Azure Archives.

"We should leave," Merlot whispered, voice so quiet she had to strain to hear it. "It is no longer safe here. We must return to the Collegium and warn-"

He cut off, going still. Ruby crouched, eyes wide and breath held, listening for that tell-tale sound that had cut through the Arcanist's words. There! She heard it again. A slow _padding_ from close by, a huff like an indrawn breath followed by a long and powerful snort.

Silence.

Not even their breathing.

"_Skreeeeee!"_

The bookshelf to their right exploded, books flying inward as a huge black shape tore through. Red eyes flashed past Merlot, paying no attention to him, fixed only on her, as a giant lupine shape lunged for Ruby's throat claws first.

* * *

**QA:** **I've had a few people express confusion over the Schnee family's position. A lot of the confusion seems to come from the fact they're both a) not respected and b) still in line for the throne. Jaune ****_did_**** explain this in an earlier chapter but maybe people forgot so I'll say it again. A LOT of people are in line for the throne. In Jaune's own words, it matters not at all. Some people boast about it but short of a plague wiping off nine tenths of the population he (and Weiss as someone even further away than he) would never get near the crown. **

**Weiss' ****_mother_**** is in line (thus where Weiss inherited a claim from) but that doesn't change the fact that the Schnee, a once respected family, have fallen on hard times and tanked their reputation by marrying below their station. Now they're `tainted goods` to other nobles. Their blood is less pure. **

**Inheritance is just numbers. Whether Weiss was a noble or a pauper, she'd still be ****_X_****th in line for the throne as her mother was before her. That has nothing to do with the family's social standing or reputation. They could literally roll in the mud and still be Xth in line by virtue of birth right. The reason Weiss boasted about it earlier in the story was because she was a) defensive and b) it was meant to hint at the fact Weiss feels she ****_has_**** to defend herself and that she ****_has_**** to rely on that fact, the only good thing she has, because without it she has nothing. **

**Because apart from that weak boast, Weiss Schnee is a low-class noble with few options in life. Much of her self-confidence is coming from having Ruby to rely on, Ruby's complete lack of shits given bolstering Weiss. That's also why Weiss was so on Ruby's case about what a noble "should" be like, including manners and all. It's because Weiss has been desperately trying to emulate the perfect noble. **

**I know this was all said before in the story and plenty of people figured all that out, but quite a few didn't judging by some PM's expressing confusion as to how Weiss could be bullied if she technically has a line to royalty.**

* * *

**Next Chapter: 14****th**** June**

**P a treon . com (slash) Coeur **


	45. Chapter 45

**The troll is back and imitating me and others in the reviews, this time trying to make it look like I'd attack my own reviewers because **_**obviously**_** that's a thing I'd randomly do from a guest account. Ignore the nonsense.**

* * *

**Cover Art:** Z-ComiX

**Chapter 45**

* * *

The monster bore down on her, black flesh, and white teeth glinting. Wood from the shelf exploded in every direction as priceless books were thrown aside. It was the eyes that terrified her. Animals hunted because they were hungry and would stare down their prey, but this thing didn't look at her like that. It was mad. Angry. Focused. It didn't want food and it wouldn't be stopped by any.

It wanted her. And it would have her.

"Begone!"

Pale blue strands of gossamer light came spiralling in from the right, catching and wrapping around the Grimm while continuing their twisting motion. They tore it off its path and sent it crashing into the ground past her. Even then, it tried to lash out and catch her frozen form rather than free itself. The blue strands continued on, turning and spinning over one another like a wheel until the creature touched back against a bookshelf, where they punched through the wood and behind, weaving themselves into restraints.

The Grimm's back was pulled flush against the bookshelf. It gnashed and snarled, claws straining against sky blue bands of magic and teeth snapping toward her.

"Rose!" Merlot hurried up to shake her shoulder. "Snap out of it. Are you hurt?"

"N-No." Her voice cracked. "I'm fine." Steeling herself, she pulled away. "It just surprised me. I wasn't ready."

"Time to prepare then. My bindings won't hold them." Merlot looked past it and back the way they'd come. He looked calmer than her, though even then there was some worry twisting his features. "We're more than three days in. Even if we ran with all our strength, we couldn't make it back without needing to rest. Grimm don't feel the same constraints."

They'd have to camp again in the Archives. An Archives that they now knew to have Grimm in it. How many was unknown, but the dead Arcanist from Menagerie had fallen to at least one, and if he was as skilled as Blake, probably more.

Wood splintered and gave way. Ruby and Merlot looked back in time to see the Beowolf rip its left arm free, breaking not Merlot's spell but the shelf it had steadied itself against. It brought its arm up to its mouth and bit into the blue bindings. They dimmed all over its body, fading out of existence.

"Is it… Yes, it's eating my spell." Merlot's voice was breathy. "Fascinating…"

"Research later! It needs to die!"

"Stand down, Initiate. Your wild magic will only draw more." His words had Ruby gasping and pulling back. How had she forgotten? If she cast here, they'd have every Grimm for aisles around crashing down on them.

"Then can you-?"

"Grant us protection!" Merlot shouted, summoning a shield of shimmering blue out from the ground ahead of them. The Grimm finally broke free and came crashing into it, punching an arm straight through with a sound like ripping paper. "Gh!" Merlot gritted his teeth and swept a hand down. "Knowledge as keen as swords, cut sharp."

_Something_ invisible passed down along the inside of the barrier, scything through the muscular arm and tossing it up into the air. The Grimm roared and drew back, hurling itself at the barrier teeth first, biting into and tearing a large chunk free. It was an uneven gait as it made its way toward them – toward her – eyes blazing bright red.

"All air contains water." Merlot pushed out a hand and water splashed down onto the ground. "All water freezes under extreme temperatures." The same water hardened and crackled, shrinking in on itself as it froze to sheet ice a second before the Grimm's feet landed. It skidded and flipped, jaw crashing down and its legs flying back. "Light which binds."

More bands of light, this time golden and a spell Ruby was sure she'd seen before, fired out and stuck tight to the Beowolf, binding it down flat. It growled and thrashed on the floor, expanding its arms with such strength that even those began to stretch and splinter.

"Amazing," Merlot said, walking forward without a care in the world. His feet came close to its snout, but it didn't bother to attack. "I knew from theory that Grimm prioritise Wildmages, but I never knew it would be this potent. It cares not for me at all."

Ruby didn't share his enthusiasm. "Kill it already!"

"I suppose I should. A shame. This one would have made for a wonderful specimen." The Grimm ripped its remaining arm free and slammed it down, dragging its bulk toward her with murder in its eyes. It didn't react as Merlot knelt to place a hand on the back of its neck. "Pierce," he whispered.

The monster bucked, stiffened, and then went still, slumping down flat. Its eyes closed, and a moment later its body began to fade away, turning into dust that seemed to drift on a breeze that didn't exist, coiling upward and away.

"Why do they disappear like that? Just one more mystery among a thousand others. Truly, the Grimm are incredible creatures."

Ruby heaved a sigh of relief. "More like they're monsters…"

"Oh, undoubtedly, but even monsters can be interesting. Alas, I fear we must cut out exploration short. I don't know how close we are to Menagerie – this poor fellow may have travelled for weeks before succumbing – but whether we've come close or he has led the Grimm to us changes little. We are not safe here. Leave the equipment," he said. "We'll take as much food and water as we can carry and no more."

"What? Why?"

"Magic draws the Grimm, girl." Merlot was already rifling through a pack. "You carrying our luggage would only light a beacon to every Grimm within a mile and a half. We'll move quickly, but not hastily. We shall need our strength if we are challenged. Now come. Hurry. It's time we leave."

/-/

The pace they set was slower than Ruby would have liked. Merlot said it was because they couldn't outrun the Grimm and would be better off making meaningful distance and not wearing themselves out, but knowing now that the Archives wasn't as empty as it was said to be had her jumping at every shadow and checking every aisle. The silence felt even more stilted and the sensation of eyes watching her returned tenfold.

The silence was too much. Ruby had to break it.

"Why did you have to chant for some spells but not others?"

"It's a matter of experience." Merlot didn't sound surprised by the question, or the fact she'd been unable to stay quiet. "Newer Arcanists are taught to use spoken components to augment their concentration. As you grow more experienced it becomes unnecessary, but it can still make the act easier. Enough so that it's advised if you have the time."

"How does that work? I don't need to say anything."

"That's because wild magic doesn't rely on concentration. Have you ever learned a rhyme to help you tie your shoelaces or braid hair? There are some to help people remember the points of the compass as well. It's a similar thing. By speaking out the steps and what you intend to do, you're more able to focus solely on that. Before long it becomes routine."

"Could you have cast them without?"

"Almost certainly, but it would be `almost` certainly. There's a chance I might have faltered and that was a time we couldn't afford it. There's a lesson for you there," he added. "Try and say something whenever you cast a spell."

"Are they always the same? Do people say the same things?"

"No. Some are considered standard because we teach them and teachers tend to use the same incantation, but you could substitute anything. More experienced Arcanists will usually be able to bring their incantations down to a single word. It depends on the field, though. Crimson and White Arcana do more combat and so need to hasten their spells. The Azure doesn't feel the same necessity. Saving a few seconds isn't worth the effort for us. Most of the time…"

Ruby nodded. "Then you used longer incantations there because you needed it to work first time."

"That's right. When your life is on the line, it's not time for experimentation." Merlot sighed loudly and stopped moving. "I think we should start looking for somewhere to rest."

"Already? I can still go for a while."

"You're young. I am not." He let the small pack of food drop to the floor and cracked his neck from side to side. The audible clicking of bone proved his point. "What's more, we're going to have to set up a watch now that we know we're in danger, and I don't know about you, but I'd prefer a camping spot a little more secure than in the centre of an aisle."

It was the same for her, but with the Azure Archives essentially made up of rows upon rows of bookshelves going on forever in a uniform fashion, there wasn't much to work with. They could either camp between two shelves in a long aisle, or they could find a crossroads where the cases ended and sleep in a slightly wider area with four areas of entry. Merlot chuckled when she pointed that out.

"True. Although, we could use the shelves to make ourselves a shelter."

"You mean push them over? Would that work?"

"It worked for the Grimm," he said with a shrug. "But knocking them down will only cause noise. I was more thinking we might push one into a diagonal and create a triangular alcove. Or better yet, we could form a square with ourselves in the centre."

"What if the Archives moves the shelves back while we're sleeping?"

Merlot winced. "A justified fear. The magic might not account for our presence and could crush us." How he could say that so calmly, she had no idea. Moving bookshelves were not something to be ignored. "Hm. I'd suggest we scale them and sleep on top, but we don't have anything to keep us secure."

"A spell couldn't do that?"

"Only the Black weaves magic that has any permanence. Anything I cast would falter the moment I fell asleep. Yours might linger, but I wouldn't feel safe trusting it. Wild magic is as it sounds, and the Grimm will only follow the scent of it."

"Then what do we do…?"

"As bad an idea as it sounds, I believe we should sleep on a crossroads."

It _did_ sound horrible. Terrifying, even. "What? B-But we'd be out in the open. Grimm could come from any angle!"

"They'll be coming from any angle regardless, I fear. We've seen already that the bookshelves are no barrier to them, but they _would_ prove a barrier to a sentry's line of sight. I'd rather have ample warning of an attack than the flimsy security of an inch or two of wood. Keep in mind they don't need line of sight to hunt _us_. The cover exists only for them."

Ruby couldn't think up any excuses by the time they reached the crossroads. The open space between one set of shelves and the next was some six metres in total, a wide thoroughfare that several Grimm could run down shoulder to shoulder. Aside from the aisle they'd come from and the one ahead, there were now a good sixty or so visible on either side, travelling down several hundred metres until she lost sight of them. So many different points from which Grimm could appear.

"We have good line of sight here," Merlot said, setting his pack down again. "I doubt we'll be ambushed without us seeing them first. Is there any chance you can sleep if I take first watch, or are you too shaken?"

"I'll take first watch," she said, unwilling to admit it.

"Hm. Very well." Merlot used his small pack as a pillow and laid back on the hard floor. "It's not comfortable, but it shall have to do. We'll stay eight hours. That will only mean four hours sleep for each of us, but I fear it's the best we can do. Wake me the moment you see any Grimm."

Without another word, Merlot turned on his side and went to sleep. Or if he wasn't asleep, he was feigning it well. Ruby stood behind, bathed in the unending light from above, stood in the long hall between the various bookshelves. Their `camp` was little more than two packs with a person asleep atop one of them.

_We even had to leave the Rubricator behind,_ she thought. _This whole trip has been worthless. _Aside from finding out about the Grimm, that was. There was obviously some luck there, because without it she might have wandered off and gotten killed. _I felt like I was being watched the last time I was in here. Could that have been Grimm?_

It couldn't have been. She'd been using magic to go through the shelves, and if the one before reacted just because it sensed the magic in her, they'd react to her throwing some of it around. Pulling her azure hood up, Ruby paced quietly between the two sets of shelves, eyes scanning one way and then back the other, then down the corridors they'd come through and the one ahead. There were so many different ways to look, so many avenues of attack, that she couldn't relax or sit down. Her head kept swivelling one way and the other.

_We should have kept moving. The more distance we put between us and the Grimm, the better._

Keeping track of time was an impossibility in the Archives. The light didn't dim or falter and nothing other than them moved. Ruby's eyes locked onto shadows she could have sworn were monsters, only to realise they weren't moving. Whenever she turned, something seemed to move out the corner of her vision, but it would disappear when she turned back. Merlot's soft snoring was both a comfort and a distraction. Her own breath was heavy and loud in her ears.

Her mind drifted to thoughts of Menagerie and its final moments. They must have tried to use the Archives to escape the fall of the city. Was it just the Azure, or had they thrown secrecy aside to save more people? Had some been saved? Just because they hadn't run into any living people didn't mean they couldn't be out there. Maybe they'd made for another Collegium.

Maybe they were still in the Archives. She could imagine a small community settled between shelves, forming a miniature village in the Archives. Up until the lack of farmland or animals to hunt set in. Without food, no such group could survive. Menagerie fell a while back from what Blake said, and considering the time it took her to get from there to Vale. If anyone had survived the fall, they'd either found their way to new Collegiums by now or died. The only other hope was some spell or enchantment to make food.

It was just as likely that the fallen Arcanist they'd found was one of the only ones to enter, and that he'd been hunted down and killed by his pursuers, the rest falling to the Grimm soon after. Somewhere, there would be a portal just like Beacon's, a gathering of rounded tables, study desks and skeletons leading up to a door that would open to the fallen city of Menagerie, now reduced a tomb.

_And if what Blake said is right, that wasn't an accident. Someone made that happen._

If so, she was no closer to finding out whom. Not that she'd kid herself – she hadn't even tried looking. Surviving as a Wildmage was more important to her than how someone else's city fell. Even so, nothing stood out here. Unless of course the Archives was how it happened in the first place. Someone from the Azure could, in theory, use another portal to transport Grimm through and lead them inside Menagerie's Collegium.

That would require a lot of things, though. For one, someone who could direct Grimm without being killed, or a way to transport them. Either they'd come from within the Archives, or the city fell first and the Archives after. _I'll have to ask Blake if the Grimm came from outside the walls or not. That's the only way to know for sure._

If it were the Archives, that might be a problem, and this could be the start of a fresh invasion on Vale. Even if it wasn't intentional, the easy route for Grimm _into_ Vale's Collegium was bad enough. What would the White do? Close the Azure Archives? How would the Azure Arcana react? Not happily, that was for sure.

Ruby's pacing only grew as time passed and no Grimm made their presence known. It could have just been the one; there might be no others; it was probably fine to relax. All those things meant nothing. Left and right. Left and right. Left and right. If she climbed a shelf, she could see far. If she climbed a shelf, the Grimm would see _her_ from afar. Her head spun.

Merlot awakened on his own.

"How long has it been?" he asked tiredly, yawning and sitting up.

"I don't know."

"Hmm." He watched her for a moment before deciding he couldn't do anything. "Enough, I feel. You may take some rest if you wish."

"I can't sleep. Can we move on? At least a little?"

"If it will tire you out enough to rest, yes. Have something to eat at the very least." He held out a ham sandwich wrapped in crinkly brown parchment that Ruby stuffed into her mouth and chewed mechanically. He took more time with it, ripping off small chunks to eat while inspecting their surroundings.

"How are you so calm?" she asked.

"When you're as old as I am, you tend to slow down. I've lived a long life."

"I haven't!" she said pointedly.

"Don't worry. The chances of there being more Grimm here are slight. Consider for a moment just how vast the Archives are, and how low the odds are of us just `happening` to run into more."

"Even with them hunting Wildmages?"

"The ones I had in captivity only became enraged when you entered the building." Merlot drew up his pack and set off. Ruby followed, too alert for fatigue to set in. "That gives us an estimate of a distance – though the specifics will remain vague. Suffice to say, I doubt every Grimm from here to Menagerie is aware of your presence. It's only when we come within range of them. Of course, that may change if you actively use it. A shame…"

"What is?"

"I wanted to have you display a surge for me." Merlot ignored how she stiffened. "So deep in the Archives, I was sure it would go unnoticed. There are few who have documented it in person, or at least there are few I know of. I'm sure the White Arcana has more."

"The surges aren't fun…"

"I didn't mean to suggest such," he said without any real apology. "But they are something you'll have to deal with. It would have been convenient for both of us if we could test whether the White's detection travels all the way here. You could have burned it off whenever you needed to."

"I still can, can't I?"

"Of course. If you don't mind the risk of being slaughtered by the Grimm."

"I can kill them."

"You did a fine job of it back there."

Ruby bristled. "I was surprised! I killed the one you let escape before."

"True, I admit. Well, you might be capable of dealing with some if they appear, but as soon as we report back about this the Archives will be swarming with White Arcanists."

"I thought the Azure Archives belonged to the Azure Arcana."

"I doubt the White will care much for that."

/-/

Eventually, even Ruby's energy flagged, and Merlot called the stop again, offering to take watch while she slept. This time there was no budging him and Ruby curled up against her pack, flinching at every sound until sleep finally claimed her. They were both still alive when she awoke to the smell of Merlot cooking a small pot of soup.

No Grimm approached for the next day, and by the time Merlot insisted it was night, she'd begun to calm down significantly. A full day and a half put them about halfway back, and with no sight or sound of Grimm, it was beginning to look like they'd found a stray roaming far ahead of the pack. Neither felt confident in pushing it of course, and as soon as they'd broken their fast, Merlot pushed them on again, shuffling down the halls in his blue robe.

It was the beating of wings that undid them.

Slow at first and barely audible, the unfamiliar sound in an otherwise silent library had them pausing to look at one another. Merlot ushered her stand flat against one of the shelves with him, both craning their necks up to watch a dark shape fly by overhead.

"It shouldn't have seen us," he whispered.

"What about people seeing it? It's flying!"

"Indeed. I expect news of the Grimm will reach the Collegium before we do at this rate. What's more concerning is what is drawing it. If it can sense the concentration of so many Arcanists from such a distance, then what is to stop the others?"

"It's only one though," she pointed out.

"The hawk covers more ground than the fox. Or in this case the Nevermore to the Beowolf. There could be thousands on their on foot for all we know." Merlot gripped her shoulder and yanked her back when she made to move. "Stay still, girl! Don't move. Where there is one, there may well be more."

True to his words, another dark shape flew by overhead and then a third. Sleek and quick, they whooshed by without a screech or call, flying so low that if she'd been atop the shelves, she could have touched one. Or they could have torn her apart with their talons. It was a good job she'd been too afraid to climb the shelves.

More came. Of the big ones, she'd hazard there were only a few – four or five in total – but the air above them darkened as a cloud of smaller Grimm buzzed by, each no bigger than a pigeon, some as small as a finch. They buzzed above them like bumblebees, whipping to and fro, avoiding one another by some measure she couldn't understand.

"T-There's hundreds of them…"

"It's worse than I thought." Merlot drew in a long breath. "Their path is the same as ours. Have we stirred the hornet's nest, or did we just have the misfortune of being in the wrong place at the wrong time?"

"Wait." Ruby turned to him, horrified. "Are you saying I might have started this? That they reacted to me, followed and then sensed everyone else?"

"No. No. Calm yourself. If it were you they were after, they'd be attacking us now. No one knows what it is that draws Grimm to Wildmages, but I'd hazard a guess it is magical energy. If we want to call it that. Simply put, you must have more. Or it's wilder or more obvious. Either way, there's obviously a limit. One Wildmage might appear tastier than one Arcanist, but trade one for a hundred and it's a different matter."

There were a lot of Azure Arcanists congregated at the entrance to the Archives. There'd been at least fifty when they came down, though that number might have tripled by now. "Will they be okay? Azure aren't known for fighting…"

"There will be some Azure-White or Azure-Crimson among them and the Grimm are few in number. The larger ones at any rate. I won't claim all will be fine, but I expect the portal shall be held. The same can't be said if more are following." Merlot stepped away from the shelf. There hadn't been a fresh murder of Nevermore for a good minute now. "It seems they've passed us. We should get moving before those following catch up."

"You said they'd take longer."

"They shall, but Grimm are tireless, and we are not. If my estimates are correct we should be a day and a half out. That might be a journey we can make without rest." He looked back anxiously. "I'm loathe to risk another rest stop, even for only a few hours."

Neither did she. If the portal area was taken and lost, closed from the other side, then they were as good as dead. They didn't have the food to make the journey to another Collegium, nor an idea of what direction to take in the first place. If that happened, their best bet would be to try and break through and out, regardless of the risks. That would expose her, though. The Collegium would know she used wild magic and might try and pin all this on her.

How many Grimm did it take to conquer Menagerie? How many could the average Arcanist fight against? Her eyes flicked to Merlot. He'd won the fight against the Beowolf without too much trouble, but it had been focused entirely on her and he'd still had to use several spells to bring it down. In the corridors with Ren, she'd only needed to touch it once with her magic. Was that something unique to her? Was that the difference in power between an Arcanist and a Wildmage? Or had she just managed to make a spell that killed whatever it touched?

There were a lot of Initiates that were still struggling with basic concepts like controlling fire or levitating objects evenly. They didn't have her natural advantages or Weiss' talent. Against the Grimm, they'd die almost immediately.

"If the Nevermore return, you may have to tap into your magic," Merlot warned.

"I thought you told me not to."

"The situation has changed. The Grimm are on a direct path to the Collegium, as are we. Drawing them to us is meaningless now. They are going to run us down regardless. If it is Nevermore, utilise wide area attacks. Their bones are brittle."

"It doesn't work like that. I can't control what my magic does. It just… does it."

"Then let us hope it chooses to `just do it` here as well. Or we shall both be in trouble."

Behind them, long howls echoed in the distance, picking up in volume as more and more Beowolves heard the call and responded. One at first, then two, three, and soon it was impossible to tell just how many there were. Only that it was too many for Merlot to have any chance fighting. The blood drained from Ruby's face, though her vaunted `master` remained calm and started to quickly jog down the aisle.

"We're over a day out!" Ruby yelled. Less if they could jog for it all, but not by much, and they'd not be able to keep that pace. "We'll never make it."

"I'm aware. We'll have to deviate from the path they're taking." Reaching the end of the shelves, Merlot waved for her to follow as he took to the south. "Remember the numbers!" he instructed. "Two south. Three south. Four south. We can't get lost in here or we're done for!"

Five south. Six south. Ruby counted in her head, heart hammering as the howls increased in volume. Would just getting out the way work? The Grimm could be coming in a wide column. Ten south. Eleven south. More than that, they were accepting the fact they couldn't escape. If they were found at all, it would be fight or die. Fourteen south. Fifteen south.

"What is-? Ruby, ahead!" Merlot's shocked tone caught her attention and she pulled her eyes away from counting shelves. Up ahead, sat within one of the crossroads but far away, almost out of sight entirely, a large and unusual structure sat.

Considering the Archives were shelves, shelves, and nothing else, it stood out.

"What is it?" she asked, panting as she ran beside Merlot.

"I'll tell you what it isn't. Grimm. Come, we'll hide there. Perhaps it's an old rest spot from before our time!"

Or from another Collegium, she didn't say. It could be either. Before the Rubricator and any real chance of logging the library, people would have had to travel in groups with plenty of supplies to explore this far. They might have left camp sites or rest spots like the Azure did to the east of the portal. This was bigger than those, though, making Merlot's point of it being older more likely.

In fact, it was a ramshackle thing. Large shelves had been pulled aside and formed into the shape of a rectangle, some leaning precariously over others to form diagonal lines. Two of those met on their side to form a triangle that appeared to serve as an entrance. Merlot took them to it, and Ruby noticed the horrific scratch marks on the shelves, the torn and shredded books, and the fact that one side of the makeshift fort had been caved in. Because that was what it was. A fort.

Merlot slowed to a stop, eyes wide and scanning the interior. Built of numerous shelves brought together to function as rudimentary walls, with more inside but cut down for rough benches and tables, the tiny fortress sat alone and abandoned, filled with skeletal figures flung her and there, their multicoloured robes tarnished, torn and pitted with age. Several Arcanum lay scattered upon the floor, others hanging over the ribcages of dead men and women.

The snarling wolf's head told of the fate of Menagerie's attempts to escape.

* * *

**Trying to make sure I keep my dates accurate. They went three days in and one and a half back, which means it should be four and a half days since they entered. If I'm wrong, I'm wrong. It doesn't really change anything, but I know people like to point out the errors as I make them. Little numbers like that are hard to keep track of when you're working on five stories at once.**

**That also means Menagerie's survivors made it to within only a day and a half of Vale. I won't give an idea of miles since it all depends on so many things, and I've no idea how to accurately estimate the speed of civilians fleeing a warzone or whatnot.**

* * *

**Next Chapter: 21****st**** June**

**P a treon . com (slash) Coeur **


	46. Chapter 46

**Ignore the troll in reviews**

**Internet still dead thanks to ISP. Driving out again today to use a friend's. I've been trying to hook it up to my mobile to use that, but my pc doesn't have wifi and for some reason the USB tether isn't working. Maybe it's the wrong kind of adapter. I'd think the whole thing a hardware problem if it wasn't also bust accessing wifi on my phone and if the ISP didn't admit it was damage on their end.**

**Hoping they get it fixed by Monday to be honest. This is a pain.**

* * *

**Cover Art:** Z-ComiX

**Chapter 46**

* * *

Across the Collegium, the bells tolled angrily, ringing out peals that were out of tune, out of synch and frightening in their intensity. That Arcanists chased their ways across lawns didn't help, nor did the column of Collegium Guards marching over the lawns. Wardens from the dorms called for Initiates to return to their rooms, while entire classrooms were turfed out.

"What's happening?" Weiss shouted at Coco worriedly. "What's going on?"

"I've no idea. I'm an Initiate too. To your dorms! Get to your dorms! Not you." Her hand gripped Weiss' shoulder and pulled her back. "You're White, right?" The question must have seemed pointless to her given Weiss' white robes. "Never mind. White are being called to the Cathedral. That includes White Initiates." Pushing her away, Coco continued to shout, "To your rooms! All Initiates inside. Yatsuhashi will take your names down for a register!"

Weiss hurried away as quick as she could, pulling her robes up so she could move faster. There were other White Arcanists and Initiates doing the same and she ran into a somewhat familiar face by the entrance. Pyrrha Nikos – the Collegium's youngest graduated Arcanist – was one foot in the doorway when Weiss stumbled up.

"Pyrrha!" she gasped. "What's happening?"

"Weiss?" Stepping down, Pyrrha took her hand and drew her inside. "It's an attack," she said. "Or something on that level. The bells signal a summons – the note and intonation can dictate specific Arcana and the nature of the crisis. You'll learn all of that once you graduate," she added. "For all the bells to ring means something of a far greater threat. I've no idea what it might be."

Inside the White Cathedral, Arcanist Goodwitch waited with several other Initiates, summoning them over with a wave of her hand. Already mid explanation, she made no effort to start again for their sake.

"The White stands as protectors of the Collegium. Now, you shall witness this truth with your own eyes. Know that your role is not to fight! You will be entering as the third wave, and your goal is to assist any wounded out of the area and pass messages as dictated."

The other Initiates looked pale and afraid. Weiss didn't dare interrupt to ask what was going on, not with White Arcanists bursting by, some running so fast they were practically leaping through doors. This was no time for her to demand an explanation. Pyrrha looked far calmer – as she might, being of the Crimson. Combat for her was something she had mastery in.

Glynda noted it. "Arcanist Nikos, though you are trained, you're still an Initiate to the White. I'll ask you to look after your fellows should anything go wrong. We shall be too busy to do so."

"I shall defend them to my last. What is the threat?"

"Grimm."

It was only one word and yet all the blood drained from Weiss' face, leaving her as weak and frail as the others huddling close together. Grimm? It couldn't be. Monsters of stories and legends that she technically knew to be true but had always expected she'd never have to meet. Someone among the group whimpered. Weiss was relieved it wasn't her.

Goodwitch rounded on them. "You will see the Grimm, but you shall not face them!" she snapped. "I reiterate, your work is to pass messages and pull the injured away. Keep to your task and trust those more experienced to defend you. Now come. Follow my instructions to the letter and none of you shall come to any harm today."

That was all the instruction they received. Arcanist Goodwitch moved, her long and flowing white robes edged with gold swaying, and it was all they could do to follow. Pyrrha was the tallest of them and stood in the centre, crowded by frightened White Initiates like a farmer surrounded by sheep. Weiss turned to a boy a year or two older than her and whispered, "What's happening?"

He didn't know her any more than she did him, but he said, "It's the Azure Arcana. Something has happened and there's Grimm inside. People have died."

Terror gripped Weiss' heart. Ruby! "How many? When!?"

"I don't know. The Azure are holding them off for now but they're not fighters. They've called on the Crimson and the White for aid."

If they were holding off, then surely that meant Ruby would have been evacuated already. It had to. No one would let an Initiate of less than three months fight Grimm. Weiss flinched as two Arcanists in blood red robes raced by, kicking up wet mud as they tore toward the bookish looking building in the distance. There were crowds outside it, huddled figures, some stood and others on their knees. It was the ones that were laid down that worried her most, figures in green bent over them healing injuries. As they drew close, the moans, cries and tearful sobs came into focus.

Weiss forced herself to look at all of them, desperately searching for Ruby among the people waiting safely outside. That she couldn't find her had Weiss' body growing cold. Hadn't Ruby said she and her mentor were spending a week inside? What if they'd been caught in this? Weiss kept looking, kept hoping, until Arcanist Goodwitch took them up the stairs and into the building, where they were immediately confronted by several members of the Azure talking furiously with the Grand Arcanist himself.

"-the sanctity of the Azure Archives-" one said.

"Is nothing compared to the safety of the Collegium," the Grand Arcanist interrupted tersely. "I will not be moved on this. The White and the Crimson shall enter the Archives. The Azure shall retain it once it is deemed safe, but secrecy must play second place to security. That is as it has always been."

"It's tradition, Grand Arcanist!"

"Traditions change. My word is final." He turned away. "Glynda, the White have their permission to seal the area." Behind him, the Azure Arcanists bristled. "Secure the portal and form a barricade. We cannot simply seal it on this end. The Grimm would burrow through."

"Understood, sir. Initiates with me. Azure, please guide us."

One of the Azure grudgingly did so, walking ahead of them with their procession behind. Weiss couldn't help but notice how despite asking for a guide, Glynda never made a move in the wrong direction. It was like she knew the way already. Even when they approached a split in the path ahead, she was moving toward the right before the man in blue robes did.

They reached a dead end. Or seemingly one. The man hesitated and then walked left, through a wall that rippled. An illusion? Ruby had called the Azure the Arcana of Mysteries, but this was taking things too far. Weiss tensed as she passed through it, unsure what it would feel like. Nothing was the answer. It wasn't there and felt like it wasn't, with the rippling of the stone being little more than a visual effect.

On the other side, a stone corridor and staircase led down to an open door. Within, the most horrific of sounds could be heard. Screaming, shouting and the incessant beating of thousands of wings. Weiss shivered and pushed back. If it weren't for Pyrrha standing there like a barricade, she might have fled.

"Initiates!" Glynda barked. Her hand rose and a golden, shimmering bubble of light formed around them all. "Fall in behind me. Remember the Trial of Will. You are of the White, and the White does not falter."

"The White does not falter," Weiss murmured with the rest of her group. Her heart was racing, and the ringing of the bells echoed in her ears. Pyrrha took the first step, all but pushing Weiss ahead, forcing her to move. When Glynda advanced, they were forced to go with her or risk leaving the shield she'd put up.

They stepped through the doorway and out onto a platform at the top of a great flight of stairs. The sudden change in light from a dark corridor to an impossibly large and bright chamber momentarily blinded her. Weiss' eyes struggled to stay in focus, and she blinked them rapidly, shaking her head.

They'd been inside a small passageway. How were they now in an infinitely vast plain where walls did not exist and only floor and ceiling continued for eternity? How was it so bright when they were indoors, and why was the air dotted with black smoke?

A scream broke into her thoughts. A woman in blue rose into the smoke, suspended by it as it coiled around her arms and legs, yanking her up by her robes. She flailed and screamed shrilly before the dotted smoke coiled in and through her. Before the eyes of Weiss and the other Initiates, the woman was ripped in two, her upper half hanging in the air while her midriff and legs splattered to the floor. The smoke wasn't smoke at all but hundreds of thousands of tiny birds.

Vomit rushed up Weiss' throat.

If it were just her, she'd have died there. Their entrance drew attention and what seemed like _thousands_ of finch-sized birds coursed toward them, slamming into the barrier. People jumped back screaming but Arcanist Goodwitch held both hands up. The creatures were no bigger than her hand. In fact, four or five could have sat in her palm comfortably. They crashed into the golden barrier without a care in the world, and with much the same result as a bird flying into a window. They dropped like fat flies to the floor, twitching and shaking before burning away into black mist.

"With me!" Glynda roared. "Stay with me now." Her descent down the staircase was slow and measure, allowing them to huddle behind as she maintained the barrier. Down below, men and women in red and white moved quickly, rushing out to support the Azure Arcanists bravely trying to hold an outer line.

A White Arcanist met them on the way back up, an older man carrying a young woman in blue in his arms. Blood ran down her body and over her blonde hair, but the girl was alive, albeit gritting her teeth against the urge to scream. Another followed soon after, this time ushering three Azure Initiates ahead of him, turning back to send streams of fire up and into the Grimm as they tried to harry his charges.

The scenes at the bottom were much worse. Pinned down and unable to move, three Azure Arcanists protected at least seven wounded, weaving intricate beams of pale blue light that cut through any Grimm they touched. That might have meant something if it were only four or five they fought, but it was four or five thousand in their area alone. Weiss watched in horror as a larger shape cut down through the sea of black and slammed its talons into the shoulder of an elderly man. He screamed as he was drawn up and into the air by a Nevermore the size of a horse.

Those left behind were quick to act and a piercing bolt of yellow light snapped through its right wing, ripping it off. The Nevermore dropped its pretty and dropped itself, crashing behind several bookshelves. The man fell and looked like he might hit the ground, only to bounce on the waves of tiny birds. He was knocked up and then fell a few metres, then was pulled up higher again, only to fall and be caught.

Up and down he bounced, knocked around in the air as Nevermore streamed all around him. It was like a sick game of keep away with someone throwing a ball up and down. This was no game, however. Blood sprinkled down like rain as he was slowly ripped asunder. Others tried to save him, but no amount of Nevermore burned or blasted out the air could make a difference.

Weiss heard someone beside her start crying. In truth, she was surprised it wasn't her – but she felt too terrified to cry. Where was Ruby? What was happening? Why were they here? Why couldn't they be in their dorm waiting this out? Was this what she'd signed up to with the White Arcana?

"We are the White," Glynda intoned. "Our duty is the preservation of the Collegiums. See this and understand why our work is paramount. Stay close to Arcanists, do not leave the central area. If possible, carry the wounded back to the staircase but _do not_ ascend it. The Nevermore _will_ notice you. Leave that to those better trained."

With a whispered word, the golden barrier fell, and they was thrust straight into hell.

/-/

"Have a look around," Merlot told her. "I need to collect the Arcanum."

"I thought you said that was only if our lives weren't in danger?" she hissed. Whether it was a good idea to snap at an Arcanist didn't even cross her mind. This wasn't the time for common sense. "I think this counts!"

"We need to wait for the Grimm to pass us by either way. We may as well busy ourselves." He stooped and began peeling back robes, removing Menagerie sigils.

Shaking her head, she stepped over a skeleton and tiptoed around another, careful not to disturb them. It wasn't a noticeably big area within the stacked cases, but it was big enough to have three distinct areas. There were no doors to cut them off from one another, but someone had hung sheets of cloth to form makeshift privacy barriers. Ruby peeled one back and looked inside, wincing at the sight of around twelve bodies laid side by side on the floor. They'd died asleep by the looks of it.

_How does one sleep through an attack by Grimm?_

Letting the curtain fall, Ruby moved over to another and looked through. This one was obviously a cooking area – presumably kept apart for sanitation reasons. There was a collection of small pots instead of one big one. Some of them were knocked over, but one was still full. Ruby peeked inside but had to pull back, gagging. The smell was horrible and there was fungus growing within it.

"Guess that means plants _can_ grow in here," she muttered, pinching her nose. The pots that were knocked over had stained areas on the floor but no sign of fungus or rot. Whatever cleaned the Archives while people slept had done its work there.

The third `room` was smaller and appeared to be an office. There were three desks with papers strewn across them, some chairs, and some bags. Ruby moved over to the bags and rummaged through them. Some supplies – the food long since rotten – and a bag full of Arcanums. They must have been following the same rules Merlot was. It bothered her just how many there were inside. Ruby hooked them onto her belt and stood up, idly noticing the overall clean state of the room. In fact, the whole compound was clean if one ignored the bodies. There weren't any broken down walls, shattered furniture, or scattered bones.

_That's weird. The Beowolf tore through a whole bookshelf to get to Merlot and I. Why are all these walls still intact?_ They were damaged. She'd seen the pitted claw marks on the way in. They'd obviously been broken through once or twice and repaired. At the end though, when these people died, the walls were still in one piece. Had the Grimm come through the front entrance? That was weirdly polite of them. Even more so to leave the bodies in one piece and not disturb those asleep.

Something wasn't adding up.

Stepping back from the bags, the skeleton sat on one of the seats caught her eye. It wasn't the fact he was dead – her and Merlot were the only exceptions there. Instead, it was the ropes coiled around him, now resting on his desiccated pale grey robes, but once, she imagined, tightly coiled around his stomach and arms. Creeping up to him or her, she gingerly probed his robes aside. They were mottled and grey with age and muck, but not a dark grey in colour. Sure enough, his Arcanum contained a single gemstone.

White.

As his robes fell down his ribcage, she noticed something trapped within it, lodged between two ribs, and held there by the widening metal. Curious, she pulled the knife out. It wasn't a dagger you'd want to use – more a cooking or chopping knife. It was sharp, though, and the tip was stained with dried red blood. This person hadn't been killed by Grimm. He'd been murdered. And judging by the fact he was tied to a chair, it hadn't been self-defence.

"What happened here…?"

Merlot was still rummaging in the main room, going about the bodies sat and laid next to chairs and strewn out over the floor. Now that she thought about it, the whole set up didn't fit what she imagined from a Grimm attack. Surely most people would have died fighting. The spells flying around left and right would then have summoned more, bringing down a group large enough to break the walls and scatter the survivors.

On the nearest desk there was a tatty book. It shouldn't have been surprising in itself, but it _hadn't_ been taken back to a shelf despite being abandoned for a while. That was strange enough to have her moving over to take a look. The book was thin and light, tatty and browned on the edges. Flicking through, she saw rows and rows of neat writing. It was inked by a neat but rapid hand, and not as straight of as legible as most of the books taken down by scribes. It was handwritten. Ruby flicked back to the front and opened it up.

/-/

_**Foreword**_

_This is the account of Corsac Albain, White-Azure Arcanist of the Collegium of Menagerie. Or what it once was. As of writing this, Menagerie has fallen. Grand Arcanist Ghira Belladonna stayed behind to mount a final defence while his wife, Arcanist Kali Belladonna of the Azure-Black, has brought survivors into the Azure Archives. This, despite my protestations. We find ourselves wandering here now, trapped and alone. I shall write this journal in the event that any find it or our remains. _

_**Day 1 – Night 1**_

_Lady Kali pushed us hard through the day, seeking to put as much distance between ourselves and the portal as possible. Though this was a wise and valid precaution, it does not seem to have achieved the goal she wished. I believe she hoped that by putting distance between us, the Grimm would not be drawn to our magic and would not locate the portal. Alas, they are loose in the Archives now. I suggested we go back and face them to seal the portal, but my word was overruled. Of the survivors, few are of the Crimson and I am the only one of the White that remains. We are an assortment of Black, Azure, Emerald and the blasted Shadow Arcana._

_I fear our chances down here are not good, but so long as we hold to hope, there is still a small chance._

**Night – 3**

_Those fools! I cannot believe them! I wondered who it was that followed with Lady Kali under a heavy cloak. He always kept hidden, kept away, and she would never say who he was. I thought him a citizen. A servant or maid or someone of no Arcane ability. I could not have been further from the truth!_

_Lady Belladonna has brought a Wildmage into the Archives!_

_What was she thinking? Has the loss of her family caused the loss of her mind? I called for his immediate execution but was soundly rebuffed. I'll admit that he fought back the Grimm, and that without him we would have perished, but since when do we throw away the laws we live by? Worse, he's from the Sanctum. Lady Belladonna released him intentionally, hoping that he would help guide us to safety._

_He may be intent to follow through on that for now, but I trust him not. I shall watch him. The White does not falter, even in times as dire as these._

**Night – 5**

_The Grimm attacked us again today. Nevermore. Hundreds of them. They carried one of the children away. The Wildmage killed them both – called it a mercy. He's a monster. Driven insane by the Sanctum, I wonder when he'll snap and kill us all. _

_The others have started to converse with him. Worse, they've started listening to his orders. I subtly questioned Emerald Arcanist Trifa earlier today, and she says he's a natural leader. He has a way with words, and it makes her feel safer to have someone taking control._

_He is a Wildmage, though! He is a monster. Mark my words, he will be the death of us all!_

**Night – 7**

_Another attack today. The Grimm are following, and we cannot travel any faster than we already are. One of the Shadow offered to stay behind and distract them. He said he could lead them away and buy us time. If it were anyone else, I'd have stopped them, but this would have never happened but for them. The Shadow Arcana never did play by the rules, so I won't mourn him._

_The others are. I can respect and understand that. They don't know what the White does. Sometimes I wish I didn't either. There's bliss in ignorance. _

_The Wildmage has been quiet today. I think he's planning something._

_The White watches. The White will not falter._

**Night – 12, I think**

_Not much has changed. The bookshelves do, the food does. We've had to start rationing. Nothing of value to report, other than a brief scuffle between two hungry Initiates. Lady Belladonna sat them down and left them on the verge of tears. _

_There's not much room for niceties here. _

**Night – **

_Unsure how many nights it's been. I'll ask someone later and fill it in next entry. _

_I've almost forgotten what night feels like. This constant light is a bother, though thankfully it's not burning hot like the sun would be or we'd have all perished by now. Speaking pf perishing, we lost two more today. Not even to the Grimm. One tripped and cracked his head open. The other just walked out of camp. He was probably tired of it all and just wanted it to end. _

_There are times I feel like that too, but someone must document this. Someone must make sure the Wildmage doesn't lead us to ruin._

**Night - ?**

_It feels like we've been down here weeks. There's talk of trying to make life work here. It's silly, but we have some Emerald Arcana and they think they can grow plants from food if they're given the chance. The original plan was to travel until we find another Collegium, but we've no idea if we're even going in the same direction._

_And to be honest, I don't think it's a good idea. If we find another Collegium, we're as good as leading the Grimm to them. That cannot happen. I've spoken to Lady Belladonna about this multiple times, but she is taking the counsel of that monster! Worse, she isn't thinking straight. Our responsibility is to the man, not the few. If by saving ourselves, we doom another Collegium, then it is not worth it._

_That is not a trade the White can allow. _

**Camp is formed**

_We've made camp and brought bookcases together to form barricades. I was sceptical at first, but it's nice to be able to rest and the Emerald Arcana's efforts have borne fruit – literally. There's not much to go around, but the more stock they have to work from, the more they can make. _

_It might actually be possible to survive down here._

_There is renewed hope among the survivors. My only concern is that they are unjustly attributing this success to the Wildmage. The soil needs a constant supply of magic to work. The only ones seemingly able to provide that are the Emerald Arcana and the Wildmage. Without it, they wither and die. _

_I will hold my tongue for now. _

**This is a mistake**

_They've elected him our leader! They've made the Wildmage our leader! This is a disgrace! It is a betrayal of everything we hold dear! He's a monster, a prisoner, a criminal, and yet now when he walks among us, people smile and sit taller. Is he controlling them somehow?_

_I don't think so. He knows of my distrust. He knows I'm watching. If he had the means to influence people, he would do so to me first. No, it's just stupidity – or maybe it's Stockholm syndrome. Whatever the case, this travesty cannot be allowed to continue. He will fail and I'll be waiting. I will show them he isn't to be trusted._

**The Grimm are back**

_They've found us. _

_If it weren't for the Wildmage we'd be dead. He's being called a hero. Don't they see that if it weren't for him, they wouldn't have found us in the first place? He's drawing the Grimm to us!_

_I've spoken out but they're calling me deranged. ME! I'm the only one here that's making any blasted sense!_

**Scouts have seen people**

_I can hardly believe it, but the scouts have reported signs of life. Not any run ins with Arcanists, but smoke in the distance. We must be close to another Collegium, maybe only a few days or a week out. _

_Everyone is excited. The Wildmage is telling us to gather our supplies. We'll move soon._

_The Grimm are still close by, however._

_What happens if they follow us?_

**Kali is dead**

_Lady Belladonna couldn't be reasoned with. I drew her aside and told her my concerns -told her that we'd be dooming another Collegium. I spoke of the White's duty, our duty, and how we could not afford to bring the Grimm from Menagerie here. I told her it's the Wildmage they're following._

_She would not listen._

_I tried to reason with her. I really did! I promise you! That she wouldn't listen isn't my fault. It's not my fault!_

_I didn't hit her that hard either, but she fell and the floors are so hard. I didn't mean to but… no, it's done now. I hid her body under some books and set them alight. I must do this. There's no other choice. We'd lead the Grimm right to other Arcanists. How many died in Menagerie? How many more will die for our selfishness?_

_None. I shall make sure of it. _

_The White does not falter._

**It's done**

_It's done. I've poisoned the food. I've watched everyone eat it – even the fucking Wildmage. This is my duty. This is my last stand. This is my sacrifice to protect everyone._

_I am proud of all I've-_

/-/

The journal cut off there. The words weren't finished but someone had scrawled `TRAITOR` in full capital letters on the page. He must have been caught, interrogated, and then killed. Or executed. Ruby couldn't say he didn't deserve it.

_They were so close,_ she thought. _Only days from safety after everything they'd been through, and then this… How could he? How could he do that to them?_ And Kali Belladonna.

Wasn't that Blake's name…?

Ruby took the journal and pushed it into her robes. Blake deserved to know. Cutting the Arcanum off the man's skeletal frame, she pocketed it so that Merlot wouldn't look deeper, then took the others in the bag and carried them back to the main area. Merlot looked up from a sack of his own.

"I found these," she said, holding up the bag of Arcanums. "They were collecting them too."

"Fantastic. Or, well, not," he admitted sadly, "But we can at least finish what they started. I suppose that's all we can do here. There's some food in the back here that we can use to bolster our supplies."

Ruby's face paled. "No, wait! W-What if it's gone bad or is rotten? It could make us sick."

"Hm? Oh no, I don't mean finished produce." He laughed briefly. "That would be long since gone. There are some planters with fruit growing. Look." He gestured to the side. "Some of it looks ripe enough to eat."

Sure enough, several small branches and vines were rising healthily from some rickety wooden plant boxes. Despite the lack of water and fresh sunlight, they were growing nicely and looked fresh and juicy. Merlot had already bitten into a tomato and it looked perfectly good to eat.

That didn't make sense, though. The notes said the plants wouldn't grow without a constant supply of magic. The kind that could only be provided by the Emerald Arcana. Or, if not them…

From the Wildmage.

Steel rasped as it was drawn free from a sheathe. Ruby flinched, spinning back to face the entrance of the small camp, and to come face to face with a man, face pale, hair blood red and clothes tattered and worn. He had a long sword pointed right at them and magic rolled off him in waves, visibly crackling and distorting the air around him. Ruby's eyes widened and a single word slipped past her lips.

"Wildmage…"

* * *

**Yep. I wonder how many expected something like that? It's everyone's favourite red-headed faunus. **

**Jeramiah!**

**Wait, you don't remember him?**

* * *

**Next Chapter: 28****th**** June**

**P a treon . com (slash) Coeur **


	47. Chapter 47

**NO UPDATE 4th JULY - Please read if wondering where chapter is**

**I'm sad to say my beloved dog of ten years, who you've probably been hearing about vet visits of for the last month or two, had to be put down early on Friday 3rd July morning. It was a devastating moment after all we'd done and all the improvements he was making. He lived a good life long past the expectation the vets gave him when he was diagnosed with a raft of illnesses. He wasn't expected to live past 5-6, but survived a happy 10 years. ****I'm relieved to say that despite the lock down and social distancing, the vets were willing to let me be there with him at the end, and he died with his head in my lap, tail wagging, which is perhaps all you can ask for.**

**I can't write like this, however. There will be no updates this weekend. I'll pick back up Monday with Null, though even that might be a slightly reduced chapter. It's going to depend on whether or not I'm in the right mood.**

**Thank you all for understanding.**

* * *

**Cover Art:** Z-ComiX

**Chapter 47**

* * *

Ruby desperately wished she could take the word `Wildmage` back. The second it crossed her lips, the Wildmage's eyes narrowed and his body tensed up. The crackling energy around him intensified, warping the air like smoke over an open fire. Ruby drew in a deep breath and slowly raised her hands up to show him they were empty. Despite the fear leeching through her, there was something else. Something urgent and tickling beneath the surface.

Excitement. Another Wildmage. One who was free and surviving outside the Sanctum like her. She had so many questions, so many things she wanted to know, but the way his blue eyes pierced her through made it clear he didn't want to hear them.

"Collegium," he said, biting off the word. "Which Collegium?"

"Who are-"

"Collegium!" the Wildmage snapped, twisting his sword Merlot's way for the interruption. "Answer me or I'll kill you both!"

"Vale." His eyes came back to her, narrowed and angry. Ruby swallowed and kept speaking. "You're close to Vale's Collegium. We're not that far out – maybe forty miles to the east. Might be a little less."

"That close…?"

He chuckled bitterly. Madly. Ruby knew why. They'd come so close before deciding to set up camp here, and if they'd only kept going, they'd have escaped. Maybe. She didn't have any idea which _direction_ they were going, and the Archives seemingly went on forever. They could just as easily have gone another way, missed Vale, and wandered for years. With vision blocked by the bookcases, you wouldn't even notice Vale's portal area unless you walked right into it or came close enough to hear people. Finding the portal was like looking for a needle in a haystack.

"We are no threat to you," Merlot said. "Please put your weapon – and your magic – away."

"No threat?" He fixed his eyes on them again. His hand tightened on his weapon. It looked to her like he might strike regardless of the consequences. She had to do something. "I highly doubt that. Either way, I'm not in the mood to take chances-"

"I'm a Wildmage!" Ruby blurted out.

"Miss Rose, no!" Merlot cried. "That is not something to admit-"

"I'm a Wildmage as well," she said, staring at him, trying to show him. Little by little, she released the control she had, causing nearby tables to shake and rattle. His eyes widened just a little. "I'm like you. I'm a Wildmage. In hiding," she explained, able to read the confusion clear on his face. "I've been trying to find out how to control my powers and I snuck into the Collegium."

"Initiate Rose! He does not need your life story!"

"You…" The sword lowered a little. He glanced to the tables and back to her. Ruby felt something tickle her left arm. The faintest of breezes in a place where that was unnatural. She willed him to feel the same in return and was rewarded by the rustling of his left sleeve.

The sword fell the rest of the way, point to the ground.

"A Wildmage infiltrating a Collegium." He said with sheer amazement. Like she did with him, his eyes roved up and down her. She wasn't the only one unused to seeing another Wildmage in the flesh, it seemed. "Now I've heard everything. This one is beholden to you?" he asked with a nod toward Merlot. "He's loyal to you?"

"We're working together," she answered. "He's acting like I'm his apprentice to keep me out of trouble. We were exploring the Archives for more answers on Wildmages." And Grimm, but this guy didn't need to know that. "We found a dead body from Menagerie about three days west of here. Came back but ran into the Grimm."

"They've been active lately. I wasn't sure why, but if we're as Close to Vale's Collegium as you say, they may have sensed the magic." He sheathed his sword, stepping back to give her room and letting the power surging around him dissipate. "Adam," he grunted. "Adam Taurus."

Relief rushed through her. It felt like the weight hanging over her head disappeared. The simple introduction was as close to a gesture of peace as they'd receive. If nothing else, it suggested blood wouldn't be drawn here. Just being a Wildmage like him had opened doors she wasn't sure would have otherwise been there. It made sense. There was no way to fake what she was at her age, and they both knew it was the world against them.

"I'm Ruby," she said. "This is Merlot."

"A pleasure," the Azure Arcanist said smoothly. "And I shall say I care little for the White's obsession hunting you down." He'd also sensed the mood and was quick to make himself as unthreatening as possible. If she was already considered so strong as a new Wildmage, then how powerful was one with time and experience under his belt? The thought was as exciting as it was terrifying. "I am only interested in one thing and one thing only. Knowledge."

"Spoken like a true Azure. Kali was the same…" He had a faraway look in his eyes before he shook his head. "I'm not going to kill you, Arcanist. As long as you don't make a move toward me, your life is safe."

"You're really a Wildmage," Ruby breathed out, stumbling up to him with sparkling eyes. "I have so many questions! How do you handle your magic? What do you do about surges? Do you know why we're hated? How do-"

"I don't." Adam stepped away from her. "I doubt I can answer any of those. I was captured young. My mother…" He sighed and ran a hand through his hair. "My mother noticed I had a talent for healing sick animals. Sold my services to local farmers so we could eat better. The Menagerie Collegium caught wind and I was thrown in the Sanctum the second they realised what I was. Before I even knew what I was."

Ruby's face fell. He was like Cinder. Just like Cinder. Wildmages really didn't survive long on their own. "Then you don't know anything…?"

"Only what the Sanctum Guards would tell me. Precious little."

"You can fight," Merlot noted. "And not only with magic…"

"One of the guards took pity on the prisoners. He'd teach us swordplay – said a healthy body and something to work on would keep us sane. Worked." Adam rolled one shoulder and patted the weapon at his side. "If not for his teachings, I'd be dead or mad by now. If I'm not already and dreaming up this encounter. It's been months since I've seen people." He winced. "Living people. At least I think it's been. Days are… hard to track down here. How long has it been since Menagerie fell?"

"A while, Mr Taurus. Around half a year."

"Six months. Have I really been down here that long?" He clutched his face, staring out from between his fingers.

"Six months give or take," Merlot said. "The details of dates are all quite vague now. If I may, and I do hate to interrupt, we are not safe here. The Grimm have caught the scent of Vale and are attacking en masse. If we do not leave the Archives soon, we may lose the chance to do so at all."

"Leave…? Yes. I would like that." Adam took a deep breath. "To smell the air again, feel the sun and see the moon." He cut off suddenly. "I will join you. How far is this portal of yours? Forty miles, you said. A day and a bit if we keep good pace."

"The journey is less the problem compared to the Grimm."

Adam snorted. "I've not survived out here thanks to my ability to hide from them. We will be fine."

"As you say." Merlot gave up easily. "Well in that case, I have no complaints, good sir. We can travel now if you wish it, though we will have to find somewhere to camp before arriving tomorrow. I doubt we can make the journey in a single day."

"You're this willing to accept me into your group?"

"I'm eager to survive. You will increase our chances of that. Besides, you would follow us either way. Does it not make sense for us to work together?"

"It does." Adam moved past her and stooped in a corner, picking up a pack she hadn't noticed before. It was huddled between a few others, as worn and threadbare as the clothes he wore. He turned back to them. "Let us be off then. I've no desire to stay here longer than I have to."

/-/

It was quiet.

Ruby hadn't expected chatter, but the quiet was oppressive all the same. Merlot walked in the lead while Adam trailed behind, and neither man spoke to the other. She walked in the centre of the column, hands holding the straps of her pack tight and eyes scanning every shelf. It would have been easier to float their luggage behind them but that would only attract the Grimm. In their absence, the silence between them was oppressive.

Merlot had accepted this offer way too quickly. Adam had too. While she was excited to see another Wildmage and felt a strange bond of trust with him through that – forged more from both being victims to the White's hunts than anything else – she couldn't help but think Merlot accepting Adam into their group when they knew so little about him was a bad idea. He could have been anyone. They didn't know if he was even sane.

Yes, _she_ wanted to know more about him being a Wildmage, but Merlot didn't – and shouldn't. It was risky enough for him to be covering for her, but two would almost certainly get him caught. And yet Merlot was willing to let him.

It was strange from Adam too. Maybe he was desperate and they were the only people he'd seen in months, and maybe he felt he was strong enough not to be afraid of them as well, but he'd left what little he had behind to come with them when all they had to prove their integrity was the fact she just so happened to be a Wildmage as well.

_This is like when Yang and Junior have one of their discussions and I don't know what's been agreed and what hasn't. _Junior had a way with words while Yang could go cold as ice when she thought you were cheating her. Adam and Merlot may have looked like they were fine with one another, but the atmosphere was too tense for that. _Merlot has power over me because he knows I need him and would be the main suspect if he died. Adam doesn't. He could kill Merlot, and no one would intervene._

On the other hand, Merlot had no reason to help Adam. He already had her to act as Grimm bait while he did his experiments and looking after two Wildmages was going to be a big risk.

Unable to handle it any longer, Ruby slowed her pace until she was walking next to the other Wildmage. With how quiet the Archives were, there was no whispering that Merlot wouldn't hear, so she chose to speak loudly instead.

"So, Adam. It sounded like the Arcanists came to respect you in the end." Ruby noticed Merlot's head tilt just a little. He was listening. "Did they look past you being a Wildmage and accept you as normal?"

"Read the traitor's diary, did you?" Adam sighed and shook his head. He didn't look tired despite the many hours they'd travelled. "There was respect, but to call it acceptance would be wrong. They found value in what I could bring. I protected them and, after a while, came to lead them. They continued to look at me like I was a wild animal, however. A trained wolf that would defend the flock, but which might snap at the slightest provocation. The traitor may have been the only one to act on his fears, but he wasn't the only one who felt them."

"Oh…" Ruby watched her feet. "I thought…"

"You thought it might be proof that things could be changed? Don't. I'm not the happy case study for you to follow. It took the complete destruction of Menagerie for them to put even the slightest trust in me – and even that didn't last. Do you think they'll side with you for any less?"

"I… I have friends among them. They would."

"Would they?" Adam stared at her but didn't argue it. "You'd know them better than I. Of course, siding with you wouldn't change anything. My mother tried to keep hold of me. She begged and cried and told the Arcanists I would never use magic again. They wouldn't listen."

At least his mother loved him. Unlike Cinder's. "Did she visit you in the Sanctum?"

"No."

"Oh… I… well, I…"

"Don't misunderstand," he said, sighing. "My mother loved me. The reason she didn't visit was because she tried to take a pitchfork to the Arcanists taking me away." His lips peeled back. "A Huntsman cut her down on the spot. The Arcanists burned her – my – home down to destroy the evidence, then dragged me away while her body burned inside."

"That's horrible!"

"The White does not falter," Adam recited, eyes ahead. "Not when it comes to killing loving mothers, innocent people or even their own. He laughed at the end. The traitor, that is. As everyone demanded answers as to why he killed them, he laughed and laughed and told everyone he'd saved them."

"Had he gone insane…?"

"Possibly. We were all a little mad by then. The Emerald tried to find a way to heal it, but whatever it was he used wasn't natural. Probably some specific poison from the White. Something that couldn't be healed by magic. It didn't affect me as it did them."

"W-Was it gentle…?"

The anger that flashed over his face suggested otherwise. Ruby was relieved when he refused to answer. "There was one among them who listened. The wife of the Grand Arcanist. Her name was Kali. Kali Belladonna."

Lowering her voice to a whisper, Ruby said, "I need to tell you something tonight."

Adam's eyes slid to her and he nodded once. Louder, and before the quiet could become suspicious, he said, "Unfortunately, the traitor killed her. My only relief is that she died quickly and without realising it."

"Were you the one who killed him?" Ruby asked, now at her normal volume. The whispering had been so quick and quiet that Merlot had surely missed it. "I saw he had a knife in him."

"No. That was one of the others. Their child was among the poisoned. I let her have the killing blow. For what little good it did. The ones you saw asleep were the lucky ones. We laid them down and the Emerald Arcana put them into a state of deep slumber. It was supposed to buy us time to find a cure but, well, that didn't happen. They died peacefully that way. Small mercies, I suppose."

"Ahem." Merlot cleared his throat loudly. "I think we should make camp here for the night. Vale is less than a day away but we're sure to come upon Grimm soon if we continue. I daresay we would fare better rested."

"Agreed, Arcanist." Adam swung his bag down.

"Good. Good. I was worried you might want to push on. Ruby, would you share some of our supplies with our new ally? I'm sure he would appreciate a change of diet. You can have some of mine."

Ruby opened her pack and looked over at Merlot curiously. "Why am I eating yours and giving mine to Adam? Wouldn't it make more sense for you to-"

"He thinks I won't take food from an Arcanist after what happened to me," Adam interrupted. "And he'd be right."

Ruby's eyes bulged. _How did I not think of that? Adam saw everyone poisoned by an Arcanist who was part of the Azure. Why would he trust Merlot!? _

"I'm sorry!" she said, hurrying over with her pack. "Take what you want. We have enough for tomorrow. And I didn't mean to-"

"It's fine." Adam grunted and sat, pulling out a wrapped package and opening it. Despite his gruff appearance and snappy attitude, his eyes lit up with joy at seeing cold beef and sauces draped over a bread roll. His hand was visibly shaking as he tore off a large chunk and chewed. It reminded her of how she'd been on arriving at the Collegium.

"Do try not to antagonise our guest," Merlot whispered to her when she came to take some food from him. "He may appear of sound mind, but we have _no idea_ how far that goes. Even before he was trapped down here, he was locked in the Sanctum for what I assume is over a decade. That changes a person."

It hadn't Cinder. Had it? Ruby mumbled an apology and took some food, making to move away but for Merlot to catch her wrist. He leaned in to whisper into her ear.

"This will not have a happy ending, Ruby. How do you imagine us returning to the Collegium with him in tow shall end?"

"W-What do you mean?"

"Even if he carries a Menagerie Arcanum, he will be questioned. Interrogated. They will know no simple Arcanist could survive down here. They will discover the truth. We can bring him out the Archives, but we can't promise him the sunlight he craves." Merlot's eyes bore into hers. "His destination is set in stone. The Sanctum awaits him."

Her heart dropped out. "But-"

"But nothing!" he hissed. "Argue on his behalf and _you_ shall be investigated as well. Along with myself. Play along for now," he said. "Our only hope is that he hasn't realised this, or he may well kill us to escape."

"He saved those Arcanist's lives," she argued. "He's helping us."

"And I, for one, am grateful. The White Arcana will not share that sentiment, however, and any amount of arguing on our part will only draw their attention. That wouldn't matter if we had nothing to hide, but we both know that isn't the case. I'm warning you for a reason. Cause trouble and it won't only be him thrown into the Sanctum. Think on that."

/-/

Ruby offered to take the first watch. Merlot didn't find that suspicious given her anxiety the night before, and Adam accepted it thanks to her being a Wildmage. Neither would have felt comfortable with the other awake, though Ruby knew it wasn't any better for Adam her way. He rolled up under a blanket with his back to a bookcase, but she felt his eyes on her long after Merlot fell asleep.

Her experience sneaking around was useful for something, it seemed. Ruby was able to crawl over to Adam without making a sound. He still moved to sit up, but she knew it was because he'd never fallen asleep in the first place. He stood, held a finger to his lips and nodded for them to move aside. He then waved his hand toward their feet, and suddenly she could move without causing footsteps at all.

_I hope this doesn't alert any Grimm…_

Adam waved for her to follow and they walked a short distance away. They were still in sight of Merlot – it was too much of a risk to leave entirely – but they could whisper without being overheard.

"You said you had something for me," he said.

"Yeah. I… I think I do." Seeing his raised eyebrow, she hurried on, voice hushed. "You said Kali Belladonna, right? There's an Arcanist out in Vale who has been helping me. It's her who helped disguise me as being from Menagerie. Her name is Blake. Blake Bell-"

"Blake Belladonna. I know of her. Kali spoke of her often, always praying she might have made it out alive." Adam allowed a rare smile to appear. "That's good news. Even if she couldn't have lived long enough to find out, it's good to know her daughter lives. There's a letter in my pack," he said. "I was never sure if there was any hope, but it made Kali happier to write letters for her daughter. When she died, I took them."

"I can try and deliver them to her."

"Thank you." Adam looked back toward Merlot. "I doubt I'll be in a position to."

"Y-You overheard us…?"

"No. I don't need to have heard anything to know what will happen once we reach Vale. I'm a Wildmage. As are you. You know what awaits me, don't you?"

"The Sanctum. I've been there…"

He frowned. "As a prisoner?"

"I had a detention there." Ruby blushed as he looked even more incredulous. "There's another Wildmage in there that's a friend of mine. Her name is Cinder. I'd been visiting her before but, well, I started surging. It got detected and now Atlas is here looking for me. They've shut off the Sanctum because it plays havoc with their tracking spells." Idly, she showed him her bracelet.

"Atlas is here? That's bad news for you."

"Is it…?"

"Atlas are the most aggressive of the Collegium," Adam said. "Even though I grew up in the Sanctum for the most part, Menagerie was more… let's say `progressive` in how they treated us. We were allowed limited freedoms, to contact family and even to walk outside so long as we were monitored. It wasn't much better – we were diseased rather than criminals – but it's far more than what I've heard of Atlas."

"Atlas despises Wildmages," he said. "The Atlas Collegium is almost entirely under the control of the White Arcana. Kali told me we'd be heading to Vale because Atlas would never accept them, solely because they dared to trust me. Even as Arcanists themselves, they might all have been thrown in the Sanctum for merely being in my presence."

"Why?" she asked. "That doesn't make sense."

"Your guess is as good as mine. Atlas and Menagerie had issues. That much, I heard from Kali, and she got it from her husband, the Grand Arcanist. The White's presence in Menagerie was small. Ghira wasn't even of the White, and that, I'm told, caused problems. Toward the end, Atlas had cut off trade with the Collegium. There was plenty of problems going on. They were even calling for the Shadow Arcana to be branded a forbidden Arcana."

"You know a lot…"

"Kali liked to talk about matters of home. I think it helped distract her from the fact her husband was dead and her daughter likely the same. Regardless, you need to be wary of the Atlas Arcanists. They'll stop at nothing to find you. They're ruthless. In Atlas, it's mandatory for every Arcanist to carry a white gem."

Ruby couldn't hide her shock. "They force people into the White!?"

"As I'm told. You can confirm it yourself outside." He looked back to Merlot. "But the simple fact is, I'm not going to be walking out of here a free man. We both know that. Your Arcanist does as well, which is why he's so nervous around me. Afraid I'll figure this all out and strike him down in my rage."

Adam didn't look lost to rage, nor to despair. His face was set in perfect neutrality. It was honestly all the more worrying. "Why aren't you afraid?"

"I've seen nothing but bookshelves for half a year. I would give anything to see the sun again, even if it means watching it through a window covered by bars."

He turned back to her and Ruby recoiled at the look in his eyes. He looked like a walking corpse. His eyes were flat, misty, and distant. So close, she could see the subtle signs of poor nutrition in the colour of his skin and the way his cheekbones stuck out. It hadn't been so obvious before, but Adam was a very gaunt man.

There were people in the slums who looked like him. Those that had lost everything to the floods and wandered aimlessly, waiting for the next water to take them. Yang called them `dead men walking` and said she was to stay away from them. They weren't bad people, she'd say, but those that are dead inside no longer care for the living. With nothing to live for, they weren't after of the consequences of their actions.

Cross them, and they might kill you just because they wanted to die themselves and hoped you'd fight back. Maybe Merlot had more than one reason to be afraid of Adam. Maybe she did too. It didn't make sense, then, for her to say what she did.

"Merlot wants me to let the White Arcana take you…"

"Not surprising." Adam chuckled. "It's an easy way for you to avoid detection. How did you survive the Grimm? Obviously, because I defeated them. It's a neat little excuse, don't you think?"

Ruby bit her lip. "I don't want to hand you in."

His smile fell. "Why? We're strangers but for one chance meeting."

"Because you're a Wildmage. We both are."

"And does that make us the same? Does it make us allies?"

"Yep!" If anything, it was his turn to be surprised. Ruby stuck her jaw out stubbornly. "It does. Wildmages need to stick together. Cinder helped me and I'm going to help you. We're on the same side."

"I'm on no one's side. I couldn't care less what happens to Vale. If I've brought the Grimm with me as the traitor thought, so be it. I've no reason to care about Arcanists after what they did to me and my family."

"You're on your side…"

He frowned. "That goes without saying."

"And I'm on your side," she argued, "I'm on the side of all Wildmages. Therefore, we're on the same side."

"Ha." He snorted amusedly. "What circular reasoning. You really are Azure. Tell me then, what _is_ our side? What _is_ our goal?"

"Freedom."

His eyebrow rose. "Freedom? And how do you intend to win us that? The White hunt us and the Collegiums bow to them. The Sanctums are prisons form which no magic can be used, even our own. What will you do? Storm the Sanctum and free those trapped within?"

"If I have to."

"You're less sound in the head than I am."

"M-Maybe I am," she snapped. "But I'm _sick and tired_ of being afraid of all this. We're hunted down and thrown away because what, they're afraid of our power? Because we _might_ go bad and use it against them? They're the ones who are afraid of us, yet we're the ones being locked away."

"There's strength in organisation. They have numbers, coordination and support."

"Then we'll get those things. All of them."

"All of them? You want to make a group of Wildmages working together…?" Adam crossed his arms. "That… I don't think it's been done before. As far as I know. Most Wildmages are hunted down so fervently that it's hard to even meet another as we have here, let alone build trust."

"Exactly. If we're as powerful as they say, we should be able to speak evenly with them."

"Do you think it works that way, Ruby? If two Wildmages worked together, it would only have the White Arcana driven into a frenzy. They'd come from all four remaining Collegiums, piling down on Vale to squash us."

"Then we'll have _three_ Wildmages with Cinder. Or more."

"What you're suggesting is war."

"It's not!" she argued, struggling to stay quiet. "It's only war if they attack us-"

"Which they certainly will."

"Then we should fight back!"

"We should," he said, surprising her. "That is something I never had the opportunity to do when I was a child. It's something few Wildmages are afforded a chance at. We're taken as children and locked away for the crimes we might commit. By the time I was old enough to fight, it was already too late." He looked down on her. "But I hope you know what you're suggesting. This isn't a case of arguing with your friends. If you reveal yourself, you will be declaring war on the Collegium of Vale and every Arcanist within it. That will include your friends."

It wouldn't. Weiss and Jaune and Sun wouldn't attack her. She was sure Ren and Nora wouldn't either. Even if Weiss had joined the White Arcana, she was still her roommate and friend. It just wouldn't happen.

"Would you still be willing?" Adam asked her. "Are you prepared for what fighting means?"

"I…" If she didn't, she was only waiting to be captured and torn away from Yang forever. "Yes. I'm ready. I thought I could find a way to control my power, but the surges aren't going away. It's not going to happen, is it?"

"Surges come when we don't use our power enough. I've had months down here alone to learn that. Using my magic every day as I have, I've not experienced a surge since the moment I entered the Archives. The only reason we `surge` is because we have to withhold it to stay hidden."

Like the wild magic was fighting to come out and be used. When she had time to bleed it, it was less powerful. Less demanding. If the Collegium just made a safe place for Wildmages to let it go, accidents wouldn't happen. _Who am I kidding? They don't want to help Wildmages. They want to forget we even exist._

"I'll fight," Ruby said. "I'll fight with you tomorrow."

"No." Adam shook his head with finality. Ruby opened her mouth to argue but he beat her to it, closing his hand over her lips. "Fighting tomorrow doesn't help either of us. What you will do tomorrow is stand with your Arcanist as I am taken. You will watch as I am beaten. You will cheer as I am taken prisoner. You will tell them that I threatened to kill you both if you did not pretend I was an Arcanist from Menagerie."

"Admrmm," she mumbled, trying to shake her head.

"You will do this because it will satisfy the White. Because so long as you avoid surging for a few weeks after, they will believe that all the surges that came before were my own."

Her eyes widened. The Azure Archives was technically in each Collegium, which meant that when she entered it, the bracelet showed her as being in the Collegium even if she walked days in any direction. That would work the same for Adam, wouldn't it? If he surged, then the bells would toll to detect him. That they hadn't already was because he wasn't surging and was in control of his power, but the White Arcana didn't know that.

"Under interrogation I shall tell them that I approached Vale under surge," he said. "That I tried to break through the Archives and out by lashing up toward the ceiling." He cracked a tiny smile. "I will even tell them that I felt walls shatter under my power."

Ruby dragged his hand down. "You can't!" she hissed. "You're taking the blame for everything I've done!"

"I am. If they are convinced I am the Wildmage they seek, Atlas will have no reason to stay. The curfew you spoke of will lift. You will be able to reach Blake to deliver Kali's letters, but you'll also be able to enter the Sanctum once more."

"But you'll be locked away…"

"I am going to be locked away whether or not we fight together tomorrow. As strong as we might be together, we are nothing compared to them. Yet. But if you are half as determined to see this through as you say you are, I won't be in the Sanctum long. Will I…?"

A deal. Or a test. Yang would have screamed for her to not promise anything, but Ruby already had a hand out. "You won't. I'm going to free the Wildmages. I'll get you and Cinder out. I promise!"

* * *

**No combat this chapter I'm afraid, but we'll be getting a very clear idea of what a Wildmage is capable of next chapter thanks to Adam. It's worth remembering that Ruby is still very much an amateur with her power, whereas Adam has had half a year against the Grimm for practice.**

* * *

**Next Chapter: 12th**** July**

**P a treon . com (slash) Coeur **


	48. Chapter 48

**Thanks for understanding last week why there was no update. Rough time.**

* * *

**Cover Art:** X-ComiX

**Chapter 48**

* * *

They heard the battle long before they saw it. The beating of wings, shouting, spellfire and screams. The cacophony was a distant hum at first but grew louder as the three of them moved closer. The towering bookcases meant that seeing anything was all but impossible.

Brief flashes of light caught the upper shelves and reflected off polished wood, but it was like being trapped in a thick forest. The greater evidence was the scratch marks and gouges torn into she shelves, the books tossed haphazardly across the floor, all signs of Grimm pouring through with destructive haste.

"This is where our lives are most at risk," Merlot said with the kind of calm born of resignation. "We shouldn't have to worry about our own failing to recognise us, but we may find it hard to pierce through the Grimm."

"Leave that to me," Adam said.

"Do you have that power? I admit that Wildmages can do incredible things, but an Arcanist can struggle against a single Grimm. We may well be facing hundreds here."

"Hmph. Don't worry about me." Adam pushed past her, his eyes catching hers as he moved ahead. "Just keep your side of the bargain.

There was no magical contract or oath sealed in blood. Yang would have said that made the promise not worth anything, but she intended to follow it through either way. Ruby nodded to him, sealing the promise.

"I've had time aplenty down here to learn about what makes a Wildmage," Adam said, speaking loudly. Power coursed around him, visible waves of shimmering air like smoke above a cooking fire. Grimm screeched in the distance. Nevermore rose like a wave set to come crashing down on them.

They'd sensed him! Even with Arcanists everywhere and magic being hurled across the Archives, they sensed Adam the very second he used his magic.

"Arcanists spend years to study every little detail. The theory, the concept and the specific flows of magic. Control, control, control." Adam sneered deeply. "They apply that twisted logic to everything. Control magic. Control people. Control Wildmages. There's a reason they convince themselves that everything in life must be under their thumb. It's because they're afraid. Afraid of change. Afraid of uncertainty. Afraid of not having the power to exercise their control."

The Nevermore swept downward. Not hundreds, Ruby realised, but thousands. Some were so small she could fit four or five in the palm of her hand. Like a swarm of hornets, they rushed in with razor sharp beaks and talons.

Adam swept his arms out wide. "Let me show you why!"

Shelves rattled and wood creaked. There was no wind that whipped up, yet the books began to shake free all around them, tumbling off the shelves to be caught in a gale that didn't exist. They swirled and tumbled through the air, clacking against one another as more and more heavy tomes were ripped from shelves several aisles in each direction. Adam flung his hand forward with a snarl.

A shadow was cast over them. Merlot gasped and Ruby looked back, eyes growing wide as books blocked out the light from above, an avalanche of leather-bound paper that blotted out the ceiling.

"Impossible," Merlot whispered. "The control required-"

"No control!" Adam barked. "Only intent. Crush them!"

The books surged forward. A hurricane of literature met a swarm of Nevermore and, like two stormfronts closing, exploded into a cyclone of whirling death. Nevermore were swatted out the air, smacked out the sky by hardened book covers that struck with the force to shatter bones and cave in ribcages. Walls of brightly coloured covers swept left and right, sweeping birds out the air.

Those that survived tried their best to duck and weave through the maelstrom, but there was no hope. The constant _thunk, thunk, thunk_ of Nevermore bodies striking the floor echoed through the air, mingling with agonised squawks and angry screeches cut short. The _crunch_ of bone and wings snapping overpowered even that, along with the loud smack of books hitting the floor, shelves and even one another in the air.

_He's not controlling them,_ Ruby realised. _He's just making a hurricane of obstacles for the Nevermore to kill themselves on._ Adam kept sweeping his hands around, changing the flow and the speed and direction, keeping the movement chaotic and ensuring the Nevermore were pounded from every side.

"_Skreeeee!"_

A far larger shadow flew up over the shelves, landing atop a bookshelf to dig its talons in and splinter two rows. It spread its mighty wings and leapt up, building height to come crashing down on the Wildmage. Adam saw it. Scoffing, he joined his hands together and angled them up.

The books mirrored his action, thousands of them swirling upward in the same motion, coiling through the air in pursuit of the giant Nevermore. It wheeled and dove, as did Adam's hands.

"It's too fast!" Ruby cried. "You'll never catch it!"

"Tch." Adam let the books fall and spread his arms out left and right again like gripping onto something. The Nevermore swept down between the bookshelves, avoiding the tumbling books to sweep down at chest height, talons extended. "This thing doesn't know who it's dealing with!"

His hands came together in a mighty _clap_. So, too, did the giant wooden bookshelves to the left and right and only twenty metres ahead. They swept in as though launched from a crossbow, crashing on either side of the Nevermore with an almighty crack and shatter of wood.

Ruby flinched, eyes snapping shut and then cracking open again nervously. The huge wooden shelves, so heavy it would have taken twenty men to move, peeled open like the jaws of a vice, revealing the broken and battered form of the Nevermore inside. Its wings were snapped, its body battered and covered in blood. Weakly, it struggled up and fixed its eyes on Adam, dragging itself along the floor on one functioning leg.

Adam's right hand rose so she could see it and slowly curled into a tight fist. The bookshelf to the right creaked and groaned, splintering inward as though trying to mimic him. Wood eventually gave way with a sickening crack, the thick unit folding in and splintering. It snapped in two, several jagged pieces of wood splintering free. Almost negligently, Adam slashed his hand from right to left.

Sharp stakes of wood smashed into the Nevermore's flank, piercing through feathers, flesh, bone and even its eye. The force of the barrage toppled it to the side, the monster dying with an almost confused look on its avian face.

"There are no limits for us," Adam said – and she had the suspicion he was speaking to her. Teaching her. "There is nothing that a Wildmage can learn in a Collegium other than the feeling of helplessness. Ours is a power gated by one thing and one thing only. Will. That is why they are afraid. Because they cannot hide the power behind years of study and indoctrination. Because they cannot pick and choose what to teach and what to bury. They cannot control every nuance of what we are, and so they destroy _everything_ we are. All for the sake of what we might be!"

Howls echoed ahead as Beowolves surged down the aisle. With a grunt and a foot pushed forward, Adam gripped the air before him in both hands like he was trying to pull over a heavy object. With a grunt, he wrenched it to the left.

Ahead of them, the bookshelves on the right-hand side of the aisle fell inwards, crashing down and crushing the smaller Beowolves in the lead. It didn't stop there, however. The shelves continued to fall moving on, toppling down like dominos, smashing lupine creatures and shattering bone.

The smaller Nevermore screeched and raced in again. Adam flung his arm in the air and scattered them with an explosive wave of wind created from nothingness. Those on the outskirts were sent tumbling away, while those closest exploded into puffs of feathers, instantly killed by the force.

Incredible. It was incredible. Amazing. Beautiful.

"Terrifying," Merlot whispered. "How terrifying…"

Why? Why was it something to be afraid of? Arcanists could do the same with enough time and preparation, yet she and Adam were monsters because they could do it better? How was that fair? _It's not fair. It's the deer crying out that it's unfair the wolf is born with fangs with which to kill it._

Nature was cruel. That was a part of life. But the moment it was humans involved in nature, the same rules didn't apply. Humans hunted down and drove wolves out not because they needed food or fur, but because they decided nature didn't apply to them anymore. The same had been done with the Wildmages. Instead of learning to live beside them, they'd taken one look at Wildmages and decided they were unnatural.

This, though. This didn't feel unnatural at all. The air hummed with what Ruby could only call excitement. The magic twisted and coiled and flowed like water down a raging river. Compared to that, Arcanist magic felt so stilted and fake, like someone was forcing the river down a manmade canal against its will.

Adam twisted on one foot and stabbed a hand out in front of him. The _floor itself_ curled and peeled up like the skin of an orange, toppling Beowolves back and crashing down to swallow them whole. He ducked, touched the ground and flung his arm up. Shattered stakes of wood from all the broken shelves fired up like arrows from a hundred bows, piercing through the Nevermore and sending them raining down like gory trophies.

A Beowolf lunged for him – finally close enough to attack. Adam gave it one look, frowned and snapped his fingers. The entire thing exploded into a ball of fire, screeching and howling as it skittered past on its claws. It howled again as it rose, suspended in the air and hurled back into its fellows.

"No wonder the Menagerie Arcanists looked to him for protection," Merlot whispered. "Ten of the best the Crimson had to offer could not fight the Grimm this effectively. Perhaps with time to plan and set up their strategy in advance, but not in the heat of the moment as he is. It's a wonder they didn't survive down here indefinitely."

Not a wonder. It was the work of a White Arcanist.

"We'll be able to break through like this," Ruby said. Adam was tearing a path through the Grimm. They didn't have a hope against him. "We'll be able to get back!"

"Yes. Though I'm concerned what he might do when that happens…" Merlot took her shoulder and squeezed it tight. "You must promise me you will stay back. Whatever happens between him and the Collegium is not our battle."

"Adam said he'd surrender peacefully."

"Did he? That's a relief. Though…" He shook his head quickly, pulling away. "This isn't the time for talk. Come, Ruby. Let's stay close and let him cut a path through."

The two of them hurried after Adam as he waded through the Grimm. Beowolves were started to reach him en masse, proving that even with all his strength, he wasn't some invincible god. The books and shelves he used as weapons were being reduced to nothing. Shelves splintered apart while books were shredded, trampled or scattered into loose pages. Adak kept pulling, drawing more from further away, but it obviously took more effort. Drawing his sword, he chambered it back and swung forward. To Ruby's shock, he released it, hurtling the blade ahead of him.

The reason why quickly became apparent. The sword began to glow and struck the first Beowolf, slicing through its body as though it were a hot knife against a block of butter. It carried on without losing momentum, now caught in Adam's wild magic, and swept back and forth, cutting foes down like a scythe through wheat.

An explosion of fire ahead cast aside two more Beowolves. It hadn't been caused by Adam – they were close! Caught in an attack from both sides and with the Nevermore decimated by Adam's bookish tornado, the Grimm were faltering. Ruby caught sight of men and women in robes – predominantly red, but some white and even soldiers in leather armour and breastplates. They were holding the line as the bookshelves gave way to the desks and Rubricator, the shattered chairs and ruined remains of the portal.

"It's there!" she cried. "The way out!"

"_Take light, reflect and refract, signal our arrival_." Merlot chanted briefly and cast his hand upward. A bolt of light a solid blue in colour fired up at a forty-five-degree angle, bursting in the air and littering motes of shimmering blue like glitter. "That should signal to the Arcanists of our approach," he explained. "Hurry. This is our chance to break through."

Breaking through wouldn't be a problem. In fact, the battle was all but ending. The final Grimm turned to face Adam, completely ignoring the beleaguered Arcanists and Collegium Guards. The sentiment wasn't mutual however, and exhausted men and women took advantage of the distraction, lashing out to cut Grimm down. Those they couldn't reach rushed in for them – and Ruby swore she heard Weiss scream her name in abject panic. All eyes were upon them.

Upon Adam, as he stepped forward, called his sword to fly back to his hand, sheathed it, whispered something under his breath and drew it in a swift and beautiful arch of roaring red flame. The crackle of ignition burst through the air as a wave of red fire flew from the blade and incinerated the charging Grimm, burning away their fur, flesh and muscle and leaving only ash behind.

_Beautiful,_ Ruby thought, meaning the way the magic moved just as much as the vivid colour and graceful swing. _That was… It felt so raw. So powerful._

So natural.

"WILDMAGE!"

Lightning struck Adam's chest.

Ruby's proud smile dropped. "W-Wait," she gasped. "He's not fighting back. Why are-?" Louder, she screamed, "He's not fighting back! It's okay! He's surrendering!"

"White Arcana, prepare for transport! Crimson, bring him down!"

"He's not fighting!" Ruby screamed.

Rows of crimson-robed figures stepped forward. Adam grunted and covered his face with one hand as a barrage of spells crashed into him. He didn't scream but Ruby did, straining against Merlot's suddenly powerful hold on her shoulders. The spells exploded across Adam's body, driving him down onto one knee.

"He isn't fighting back!" Ruby wept. Her voice caught, hiccupping. "He isn't – Merlot, tell them to stop!" When he didn't do so immediately, she shrieked, "Tell them to stop!"

"I cannot. And they won't."

"Huntsmen!" Goodwitch ordered.

Three figures in black leather with masked faces charged in. Adam stood with a pained sound. He raised his hands, allowing his sword to fall – a clear sign of surrender. Clear to her and to all of them.

A wooden baton struck him in the neck. The sound of strangled choking was more than audible. He dropped, but that didn't stop one of the Huntsmen kicking him hard to bring him low. Another took his sword and threw it back, while the one with the heavy wooden club raised it high and brought it crashing down on the defenceless man.

"Stop it!" Ruby howled. "Stop it!"

"Ruby," Merlot hissed into her ear. "Don't do anything. Don't even think of helping. You won't be able to and you'll only end up in the same- argh!" He grunted as she stamped a foot down on his and broke free. Ruby hurled herself forward, covering the distance in a sprint.

"No!"

It was Adam that shouted out, hurling one of the Huntsmen away. It was the first sign of him fighting back and the Arcanists reacted poorly, throwing spells his way. They wouldn't harm the Huntsmen, making it safe to do so. There was a moment where he could have run. Could have escaped. He didn't. Instead, Adam turned to face her and shook his head.

_Don't interfere. Don't try and protect me. Don't break your promise._

Ruby released a strangled sound and dropped to her knees, tears running down her cheeks. The barrage hit and Adam and the Huntsmen were engulfed. His scream pierced through the smoke but was quickly cut off. The loud _smack_ of a cudgel being repeatedly driven down was all she could hear, and even then she had to close her ears against it, pushing her face to the floor and covering both ears as Adam was beaten unconscious less than ten metres away from her.

"Ruby!" Someone wrapped their arms around her. White covered her vision as a sleeve dappled with blood clung to her. "Ruby, are you okay?" Weiss demanded, sounding so afraid. "Are you hurt? Do you need healing-"

"Help him, Weiss," she begged her friend. "Please help him."

"Him-? But Ruby, he's a Wildmage…"

"He isn't fighting them," she cried, clinging to Weiss' robes. "He protected us. He promised to surrender. He hasn't once tried to fight back and they're _killing him_. Weiss, he saved our lives!"

Weiss' pale blue eyes stared down on her for a long second. They looked tired and haunted. Her own must have been worse because Weiss swallowed and looked away, "He's surrendered!" she shouted. "Lady Goodwitch, the Wildmage agreed to surrender to the Sanctum! There's no need for this-"

"Silence Initiate." Arcanist Goodwitch strode forward with her eyes locked onto Adam's form, watching him go still as the cudgel rose and fell. "Wildmages are dangerous unless contained. What carnage could he cause if we trusted and brought him to the Collegium? Even the distance between the Archives and the Sanctum could cost hundreds of lives if he chose to attack."

"But he isn't fighting!" Ruby screamed at the cruel woman. "You're hurting an innocent man!"

"Initiate Schnee, take your _companion_ away from here. If you can, talk some sense into the fool girl's head while you're at it. Arcanist Merlot," she barked. "I hope you have good explanation for why you have been found in the company of a Wildmage."

"An explanation I will gladly give, Arcanist Goodwitch, provided it is to the Grand Arcanist. Ironwood and you have no power over the Azure Arcana."

Ruby couldn't pay attention to them. Her eyes returned to Adam, staring past Weiss' sleeve as three men beat him within an inch of his life. He'd stopped trying to cover himself, arms broken. His face was covered in blood and his legs twitched with every blow. And yet despite all of that, he watched her. Watched and said not a word.

He was letting this happen because of her promise. As a Wildmage, he could have fought to the death. He might still have been brought low, but he could have chosen to die rather than face this. If she tried to save him now, she'd spit on that. If she cast Weiss aside, rose and summoned her power, she might be able to strike Goodwitch and the White low while they weren't expecting it.

But she couldn't beat them all. Not them _and_ everyone in the Collegium above. All she'd accomplish would be getting herself thrown in the Sanctum with him and Cinder, and then there'd be no one to rescue any of them.

Turning away was one of the hardest things she'd ever done. And leaving him to be beaten unconscious was the most painful.

/-/

"Initiate Schnee," the Grand Arcanist said. "Thank you for bringing Initiate Rose here."

It was the first time Weiss had ever been addressed of the Grand Arcanist and the honour was muted by the weight of her best friend slumped against her side. Weiss supported her weight with one arm around her waist and the other holding Ruby's hand. Cautiously, she helped Ruby to one of the seats set up, the one beside Arcanist Merlot, her mentor.

He took and helped set Ruby down and didn't complain when Weiss pulled up a seat to connect to Ruby's so that she could offer her shoulder to lean on. Ruby took it, as quiet as she had been since her rescue from the Azure Archives. Weiss couldn't help but think Ruby's silence had more to do with anger than pain. And that some of it might even be directed at her.

There were two others in the room – Arcanist Ironwood of Atlas and Arcanist Goodwitch of the White. They stood on either side of the Grand Arcanist's desk, as if united against the three of them.

"Initiate Schnee, you may leave."

"Arcanist Goodwitch," she said, "If I may, Ruby is exhausted and not strong enough-"

"You have your orders, Initiate," Ironwood said sternly. "The White follows."

Weiss grit her teeth but made to stand – only to freeze when Ruby's hand clutched hers tight. Helplessly, Weiss looked to the Grand Arcanist. His eyes met hers and then dipped to Ruby's hand, softening slightly.

"Initiate Schnee may stay," he decided, drawing a frown from Goodwitch. "There is little that will be said here that she won't hear from her bunkmate, and she was in the Archives when the Wildmage was discovered. There are no secrets she has not already witnessed."

Goodwitch huffed. "As you say, Lord Arcanist."

"Merlot." Ozpin addressed Ruby's mentor with a placid smile. "Please explain to us the circumstances that ended with your accompanying a Wildmage."

"Of course, Ozpin. There's no grand conspiracy to it…"

He spoke. It was a long story that spanned days of his and Ruby's time, but which he summarised to a few key points. Weiss listened but placed most of her attention on Ruby, holding onto her and stroking her back, only looking up briefly to stare at the bag of Arcanum Merlot provided, proof of the fallen of Menagerie. Of the surviving Arcanists of Ruby's home.

Weiss clung tighter to her friend. Horrible as it sounded, she hoped none of Ruby's family had been among them. Better to have the certainty of their death in Menagerie than to imagine them hounded in the Archives.

Merlot spoke of the fallen Arcanists they found and then their encounter with the Grimm – one he had slain. He then told of their retreat, of seeing the Nevermore fly above and discovering the last outpost of the survivors.

"The Wildmage led them to us," Goodwitch decided.

"I disagree," Merlot challenged, earning two heated glares.

"Oh?" Ozpin sounded more intrigued. "Do tell."

"The Nevermore flew over us but also past Adam – the Wildmage, that is. I don't suppose you cared to ask his name before assaulting him. If they truly had been hunting him, they wouldn't have gone anywhere near the portal because Adam was not there. It's obvious that what they sensed was the Azure themselves. It had little to do with the Wildmage."

"And yet they would not have been close enough for that without the Wildmage leading them this close."

"Shall we ignore the Arcanists he travelled with? It was _their_ decision to risk the journey in hopes of finding Vale. Not his."

"Rogue Arcanists," Ironwood said dismissively. "They went Rogue the moment they broke into the Sanctum to free one of its prisoners. Whatever their reasoning, the law exists for a reason that reason is the protection of all Remnant. They were no better than criminals themselves. It is fortunate for them they fell, or they would have shared his fate within the Sanctum."

"The White killed them…"

Weiss flinched as everyone's eyes came to her, or more specifically to Ruby. Intimidated as she was, Weiss hunched over her best friend's form.

"What was that, Initiate?" Ozpin asked kindly.

"It was the White that killed them," she insisted. Weakly, she fumbled in her robes and provided a small, worn book. Weiss took it and tossed it to the Grand Arcanist, who thumbed through it briefly without reading. "T-There was a White Arcanist in the survivors. He didn't like how they let a Wildmage protect them, so he _murdered_ the Arcanists. Poisoned them all."

Weiss looked to Arcanist Goodwitch, expecting her denial, expecting something. What she didn't expect was for the woman to nod once.

"Good."

Ruby sucked in a breath. Weiss felt her entire body tense up.

"He made the ultimate sacrifice, and to protect other Collegiums. Not all can think so clearly in times of conflict."

"He murdered them!" Ruby hissed sharply.

"He did what he had to, Initiate. I don't expect you to understand, but the White does not falter. He chose Remnant over a small group of people. He chose the White over himself." The woman in white touched a hand to her chest. "May he be remembered for his sacrifice."

Weiss didn't dare echo the gesture Arcanists Goodwitch and Ironwood gave. If she did, she knew Ruby would never forgive her. _Killing his friends because the White told him to. What if they told me to kill Ruby? I couldn't do that._

"Moving on," Merlot said nervously, waving Ruby to silence. "We chose to travel with the Wildmage because we really had no choice in the matter. He could have killed us and taken our supplies had we said no. As for leading him back, the Grimm had already done that for him, attacking the portal as they did. He would have reached it sooner or later."

"Your _apprentice_ attempted to defend him," Goodwitch pointed out.

Weiss couldn't remain silent. "Ruby only said he promised to surrender! She didn't try and intervene!"

"The intent was still there."

"Intent isn't enough!" Weiss argued.

"Silen-"

"Enough." The Grand Arcanist silenced them both with a single thump of his hand on the desk. "Glynda, answer me truthfully, did Initiate Rose physically or magically assault those dealing with the Wildmage?"

"…" Arcanist Goodwitch sighed. "No."

"Then the matter is dealt with. We can hardly expect an Initiate to stand up to a Wildmage. To do so would be ridiculous. In the same vein, Merlot is a researcher before he is a fighter. With an Initiate to protect in tow, his options were limited."

"Thank you, Ozpin." Merlot bowed his head.

"I do not want any strife between the Arcana. There will be enough between the Azure and the White in the coming days, I'm sure. At least _one _of our problems is dealt with. The Wildmage has been caught."

"Ozpin, you can't possibly think he was the one from the slums." Ironwood argued. "He's been trapped in the Archives for months! Your own forces reported contact with the Wildmage above ground. And to speak of this in front of Initiates-"

"Come now, James. There won't be any hiding what happened today. People have died, the injured were seen on the laws and the Wildmage was dragged unconscious across the grounds under intense guard. There's not much point pretending news of this won't spread."

"Agreed," Glynda said. "Though as James says, the Wildmage we personally saw in the city is still at large. They are not one and the same."

"I am not suggesting that, of course not. That said, your efforts to locate him or her within the Collegium have proven fruitless, no?"

Ironwood grunted. "Admittedly."

"That is no fault of yours, old friend. I feel our mistake was that we have become distracted by the one in our Archives. We narrowed our search when we shouldn't have. He was close enough for our sensors to pick up his bouts of wild magic."

"You think the incident in the Collegium was him. That the other is still at large in the city and taking advantage of our mistake to stay hidden." Glynda hummed, stroking her chin. "It could be. What do you say, James?"

"Possible. The Wildmage had always been detected in the slums before, then _once_ in the Collegium when the wall fell. Almost all the first year Initiates were accounted for at the time and my men have been through all the staff. It's possible that the reason we haven't found anything is because the architect of that specific surge was none other than the one we've caught today. So, the other would still be active in the slums."

"My thoughts exactly." Ozpin smiled and turned to face the two White Arcanists. "The attack on Initiate Valkyrie's workshop may have been the same. No one saw anyone come or leave and your tracking bracelets picked up little. It's known she keeps volatile material there – perhaps the Wildmage fighting the Grimm in the Archives caused sparks above ground that reacted poorly with something she had stored there."

"It's an avenue worth exploring," Ironwood said. "The wall is all but close to repaired now; only the final touches remain. I suppose we can ease the curfew and take the tracking bracelets back. If we're wrong and the Wildmage is still here, we'll soon know. We're likely due a Surge in the coming weeks. To think there were two and that we misread the readings. I'd not believe it if we didn't have one in captivity."

"Um. Sirs." Weiss chimed up weakly. "Maybe it _is_ just the one."

"We have evidence it is not, Initiate. Please do not involve yourself in matters you know nothing of." Arcanist Goodwitch shot her down immediately. "And we should not be discussing this so candidly in front of two Initiates, regardless of what rumours may or may not fly."

"Of course." Ozpin linked his hands together and turned back to them. "I see no reason to punish Merlot and Miss Rose for what happened. It was hardly their fault and they acted as best they could given the circumstances."

"The Initiate questioned the White."

"And since when do questions deserve punishment, Glynda? Is not our job to teach and guide these children?" The question was frosty even to Weiss' ears and the woman stiffened. Ironwood made to speak but Ozpin beat him to it. "This is not Atlas, old friend. Do not think to push your ideologies here. I am the Grand Arcanist and I have decided."

"Yes, Grand Arcanist."

"Atlas respects the Collegium of Vale's sovereignty."

"Good. Now, unless there is anything you or Miss Rose wish to add, I think we are done."

"Nothing on our end," Merlot said quickly. He made to stand. "I think-"

"I want to say something." Ruby's voice cut through the conversation and had Weiss wincing. Even so, she helped Ruby to sit up and face them. "I want to ask Goodwitch something."

"That's Arcanist Goodwitch, Initiate."

Ruby ignored her. That was already a bad sign. "The Wildmage agreed to surrender to the Sanctum. He said he knew he couldn't fight back and would go there peacefully. He beat the Grimm and saved a lot of people's lives, and he dropped his weapon when you all attacked him. He didn't once fight back…" Ruby trailed off.

"Is there a point to this story, Initiate?"

"Why…? If he was surrendering peacefully, why hurt him like that?"

The Arcanist sighed and crossed her arms. "I should not need explain myself to an Initiate. That said, I suppose it does no harm. Listen well. A Wildmage is a dangerous beast. Just because a snake lowers its head does not mean you reach out a hand to pet it, nor do you ignore the wolf that looks away from you. If the Black could create something capable of restraining a Wildmage's magic, I could have relied on that to take him in non-violently, but there is no such tool. The only way to bring him to the Sanctum without endangering everyone in the Collegium was to ensure he could not cast. We did what we had to, Initiate. Does that explain our actions for you? Or would you like to question several hundred years of wisdom?"

"Maybe it needs to be questioned…"

Weiss tried to shush her, but it was too late. Glynda's eyes sharpened. "It does not. Initiate Schnee, take your friend away. She is obviously disturbed from her experience. I've heard tell some prisoners can develop an attachment for their captors."

"If you always attack and go after Wildmages something is going to break eventually," Ruby said. "If a Wildmage knows all they face is pain and beatings, they won't surrender. The next time, they might try and kill you."

"Initiate, I would challenge any Wildmage to try. The White does not falter. It has not faltered for hundreds of years; it did not falter in Menagerie; it shall not falter here. You ask what right I had to beat him? I ask you what right did I have not to?" Waving her hand, she said, "Take her away. I will not argue my methods with an Initiate."

* * *

**This is an example chapter of what an experienced Wildmage can pull off. Keep in mind that while Merlot was able to kill a Grimm, it was distracted by Ruby and he actually had to use a few spells to do it – one to restrain, one to turn the floor to ice to trip it and another to make a weapon to pierce its skull. **

**Adam, and by extension Ruby, can brute force their way through it. A single spell in their hands can completely rip a Grimm's insides out, and they can adapt and use spells on the fly and as they need them.**

**To use the books as Adam did would have required intense concentration on every individual book, many moving in different directions. Think of music practice for piano or drums where you have to do one thing with your left hand and another with your right, but instead imagine it's two hundred different movements and you have to do it with your mind without once dropping concentration.**

**That's an Arcanist.**

* * *

**Next Chapter: 19****th**** July**

**P a treon . com (slash) Coeur **


	49. Chapter 49

**Ignore the troll spamming as usual**

* * *

**Cover Art:** Z-ComiX

**Chapter 49**

* * *

Ruby didn't get out of bed the next morning.

Weiss had no idea what to do about it. Her roommate had been through something absolutely horrid, and while she'd also seen things that left her with nightmares she'd been behind the protections of the White and Crimson. Ruby had been in the middle of it all, and only escaped by the skin of her teeth. A little upset was to be expected.

What worried her more was when she came back from the cafeteria with a loaded tray of cooked breakfast, smoked bacon and fresh orange juice, only to have Ruby roll away from the deliciously smelling treats and say she wasn't hungry.

Ruby.

Not hungry.

There would have been a joke there were she not so worried.

"Can't you eat something?" she pleaded. "For me? You were in there for days on limited food. Just a slice of toast. How about some bacon?"

"I _said_ I'm not hungry."

"I'll just leave it here." Weiss laid it on the bedside table. "The drink is still cool if you're thirsty. We've both got time off. Do you want to spend it outside today? It's a warm day, and you've not seen proper sunlight for a whole week."

Ruby's only answer was to tug her blankets tight around her and roll over. Weiss stared at her back, worry and indignation working itself together into a thick, jumbled mess of doubt. It didn't feel right to leave Ruby like this. It felt even less right to force her to do anything after what she'd been through.

In the end it was Ruby's silence that drove her away. Trying to talk about the Archives earned her silence. Trying to talk about the Collegium was no better. Even talking about Malneux earned nothing more than Ruby's back and shoulders. Weiss gave up after that, slowly standing up and staring down on her roommate.

"I'll leave you to yourself. Is – Is that what you want? I need an answer, Ruby, or I'm going to stick around talking-"

"It's what I want."

"Okay." Weiss sucked in a breath and was proud to see it didn't waver. "Okay, I… I'll give you some space. Please try and eat something if you can. I'll come back around lunch to see if you want to go out for it."

No answer. Weiss let herself out and closed the door, biting her bottom lip on the outside.

"Not exactly my forte," Coco said once Weiss finished explaining the situation. She was sat on a table in the common room reading through some assignment from the Amber Arcana. "Yatsuhashi. This is more your domain." The giant who had been studying next to her hummed inquisitively. "Come on, big man. Don't pretend you weren't listening in."

"I was not." His voice was low and even but surprisingly soft. "I cannot help but overhear what is said right in front of me, however."

"Then hit us with some insight. I'm sure Weiss won't mind who it's from."

"Not at all," she said.

"Hmm." Yatsuhashi set his book down and took a deep breath. "I would say your roommate has reason to desire solitude right now. A lack of appetite similarly should not be cause for worry, though if it continues to the evening, you may want to take a firmer tone with her."

"Do you think I should talk to the Emerald Arcana?"

"No. They are overly busy considering what happened. It is best not to worry them unless it is an emergency. Perhaps a distraction would be the better solution. Your friend may not wish to speak, but she will listen and may appreciate rescue from darker memories."

"Meaning I should read to her…?"

"Perhaps."

"Friends," Coco said, stepping in to explain. "If she's in a bad mood and doesn't want to talk, get someone else to help you do all the talking. Just being around people chatting might make her feel better. Least that's what I'm assuming you mean, Yats?"

Yatsuhashi shrugged. "It is one interpretation of it."

"You don't think she'll get angry if I do this?"

"Anger suggests passion she is lacking as of now. It might even be better if she does – it could give her a means to vent her fears and frustrations. No easier on you, I'm sure. Instead of trying to force her into talking with you, I would talk around her. Let her enter or stay out of the conversation as she wishes."

"I'm not the best at this kind of thing," Weiss admitted.

"Then find someone who is. If you lack expertise, seek those with it. If you lack knowledge, learn. To do nothing is to surrender before ever having made the attempt." He smiled at her warmly. "I do not believe you would show such little effort to your friend. Not if you were willing to seek us out in your worry."

Weiss' face warmed up at the compliment. That was probably his intent, but it worked and she wouldn't deny feeling better. "Thank you. And yes, I'm not giving up. I have a few ideas of who I can speak to. Please excuse me."

/-/

"News from the Collegium."

Yang almost stabbed herself in the eye when Blake came melting out the shadows like she'd lived in them her whole life. Swearing colourfully, she stabbed the knife down into the wood of the table and twisted to glare at her occasional housemate, constant annoyance. "A little warning would be nice next time, yeah?"

"Sorry." Blake strolled around the table and took Ruby's old chair. "I'll try again. Warning! News from the Collegium."

"Fuck you so much. If you hadn't nursed me back from that sickness…"

"And saved your life on the wall."

"And that…"

"And saved Ruby against the huntsmen-"

"Okay, I'm calling bullshit on that one. You don't get to claim credit for saving someone from the shit you put them in. You get saving me and finding us a place to stay, plus caring for me when I was sick." Grudgingly, Yang pulled the knife free and didn't stick it in the Arcanist opposite her. "And I'm trying my best to be nice because of it."

"This is you being nice?"

"I only said I was trying. Anyway, what news? It better be good news for a change."

"Astonishingly enough, it is."

Huh. Well damn, that was new. Yang allowed herself to unwind not that she could be reasonably assured it wasn't Ruby in any danger. Blake would have led with that – or skipped town entirely. If Ruby went down, there was no reason for her to stay and get ripped a new one by Yang.

Part of her kept expecting Blake to leave and never come back. To be honest, she wasn't sure what she thought about that. Life would be a lot easier without Blake and all this Menagerie business was none of her and Ruby's concern, and yet at the same time the other woman's presence was growing on her. Like mould or some terrible infection. _Am I so lonely from Ruby not being around that I'm adopting a stray cat now? Fuck me._

"Alright," Yang said. "I'm interested. They've been quiet of late. Suspiciously so. And how did you get this news anyway? I thought they had a lid on secrets sealed tight."

"They do. I didn't get this from anyone; I worked it out using my own eyes. Up in the Merchant's Quarter," she said. "There's a whole lot of Arcanists wandering around. Not our usual friends looking for a Wildmage either. Just your average everyday Arcanists going about shopping, walking around and drinking in taverns. The merchants are having a field day with all that money coming on down."

She could imagine. Since most Arcanists were nobles or wealthy families they would be bringing a lot of lien down from the Upper Districts. "I don't see why that's such a big deal though. Arcanists aren't that rare in the Merchant's Quarter. Ruby used to go on about them whenever she saw some. Couldn't shut her up."

"It's the first time they've been seen since the floods."

"That's not unusual either. Most everyone waits until the water is gone to come down from their ivory towers. You wouldn't want to catch something off those filthy Dredgers. It's part of the reason why the Merchants were so keen to be rid of us."

"Profit over people's lives. Disgusting…"

Normal, more like. Yang refused to believe Menagerie had been any different, but then Blake was a noble and they got to see the nice, sparkly side of society. To them, helping someone at cost to themselves was a hobby that made them feel better. It was no sacrifice like it would be her and Ruby taking on a sickly child and all three of them starving to death.

Everyone had to look out for themselves. The bakers had to charge money for bread so they could afford to feed themselves and keep baking. The butchers had to break the fingers of thieving kids because if they didn't, the news would spread they were a soft touch and every starving child from the farms to the walls would be hounding their door driving off customers and stealing whatever wasn't nailed down. And those kids had to steal, just as she and Ruby used to have to.

It was life. If any one of those links in the chain broke, everyone died. If the butcher went out of business, kids that might have been able to scavenge scraps for food went hungry, and if they went hungry and died on the streets, more disease came. If the alchemists and doctors didn't peddle drugs to keep their funds up, they wouldn't have the resources to fight said diseases. The slums sucked – Yang would be the first to admit that – but it worked. It had to or everyone would have died the first time the floods came around. It was all too easy for someone like Blake to say it was wrong. Someone who'd grown up without having to experience it.

"Forget that," Yang snapped. "What's the big deal with the Arcanists coming down again? Not just the fact they're appearing, I hope."

"Not just that. There are a lot of them drinking in the taverns and eating out – an unusually large number of them. The Collegium has its own restaurants inside it, but you'd eat out for a change – because you're tired of eating the same cooked food day after day."

"Sounds fucking terrible," Yang snarled, stabbing a bit of stale bread Blake's way. "And here I am having to eat around the hard bits that'd break teeth. Damn, Blake. I feel sorry for them. Can you imagine having to eat full meals of fine food day after day?"

"It's idiotic, I know, but the point I'm making is that they're all coming out now. Tonight. The timing is too specific for _literally a hundred or more Arcanists_ to suddenly decide they're tired of eating the same thing." Blake leaned forward, tapping a finger on the table. "They've lifted the lockdown."

Yang stilled. "Y-You're sure?"

"Only thing I can see. The wall is about half done. It's not finished, but no one is going to wander in and out when it's already thirty feet tall. I swung by the wall between the Merchant and Upper District and I could see the gates to the Collegium. They were open. Add that to all the Arcanists suddenly free to come visit the city as they want…"

"And you have people visiting family," Yang finished for her. "Coming out en masse to eat, shop or just wander around outside the Collegium again. That means…"

"Ruby will have a chance to sneak out once more."

Yang could have cheered. She settled for sagging back and tossing her crusty bread on the table. Finally. It had been, what, months? The time had all been a blur given the shit that had gone down. The floods coming early, nearly dying, using magic to stay in a wealthy home and then catching the latest plague and having to come crashing down from one of the Alchemist's tinctures. Not to mention the near-fatal run in with the Grimm in the outskirts. Everything had been a mess, but through it all had been the promise of getting to see Ruby again.

"Wait. You don't think they've caught her, do you?" Yang's heart leapt to her throat. "If that's why they're opening-"

"There are still Arcanists on every gate in and out of the city, plus huntsmen lingering in the bell towers." Blake glared out the closed window in the direction of one. "I've seen them watching the slums night after night. They wouldn't still be doing that if they had her."

"Yeah. Good point. Sheesh. Never thought I'd be happy to hear those creepy bastards are still around. What do you think it means? The Collegium is planning something or were they only doing it because the wall went down and now it's over?"

"Hard to say. I tried to listen in but the Arcanists out drinking only really mentioned how good it was to be able to come out again. They didn't say why it changed. If I had to guess, it was the wall. Nothing like this happened in Menagerie but keeping Initiates inside the Collegium is a big deal."

"And let me guess, you don't know why…"

"It's because Initiates are dangerous to those around them while they're untrained." Blake said with a huff. "We're not all secrets and unreasonable demands, Yang. There are a lot of things I don't know but only because I didn't need to know them. Wildmages count on that since I neither worked with the Sanctum nor dealt with them. It's no different to you not knowing how to make medicine and trusting a healer to do so."

Not quite the same since she paid a healer and even then, she didn't trust them for much more than that. There was a difference between secrets kept because they took years of training to understand and secrets kept because nobles decided no one ought to know. "You think you can get a message in to Ruby?" she asked, changing the subject since Blake was looking miffed.

"I don't think so. Not without questions being asked as to who would send it and why."

"Friend from Menagerie? Another survivor?"

"It might be opened by an Arcanist. Plus, I'd need someone to deliver it in. If you want mail to go into the Collegium, you need to take it to the gates and hand it over to an Arcanist in person. It's not secure. If you went, they'd ask why someone from the Slums knows an Initiate. If I went, I'd be subdued and arrested as a Rogue Arcanist. Ruby has my Arcanum."

Back to waiting for Ruby to make contact then. At least that was a thing that could happen now. They had a lot to cover, too. "I spoke with the madam today. The one who runs the whorehouses," she explained when Blake didn't catch it.

"Ugh. Why?"

"Because I wanted to? Because as much a bitch she is, she doesn't lie or backstab for no good reason? Stop pushing your morals here and listen. Whores are good for information – good for keeping secrets too, despite what you might think. People tell their whores stuff and you'd be surprised how many will take those secrets to their graves if they have to. A whore that tells of things you whisper in their ear soon loses any chance of plying their trade."

"Is there a point to this or are you branching out to new income sources?"

"Fuck you. The point," Yang stressed, "Is that one of her more regular customers was three weeks missing on visiting his favourite girl. The madam was starting to get worried. And yes, she can worry about customers. They're not evil. Sent some girls out to visit – just to take a look and see if he was alright. He was an older gentleman so she was afraid he might have croaked."

"Had he?"

"Yeah, though not of natural causes. Apparently, it looked like he'd been torn to shreds by a wild animal that broke into his farmhouse. And you know where his farm is?" Yang continued before Blake could answer. "Right up against the outskirts. Fields bordering the forest."

Blake swore sharply. "The Grimm are encroaching…"

"Was my first thought. Didn't bother sharing since I knew the madam wouldn't believe me. Wild animal attacks do happen. Still, to break a door down and go in when there were sheep and pigs outside? Yeah, I don't think so."

"Grimm for sure. I don't know why they'd target a farmer specifically. Maybe his family had latent talent in their blood, or maybe it was drawn to the Arcanists in the city and the farmer startled it, set it off and ran back into his house for safety." Blake stood suddenly. "You said it was by the outskirts?"

"Westfield farm. By – you guessed it – the western-most fields. I wouldn't check it out right now," she warned, watching Blake stop halfway to the door. Talk about antsy. "The madam alerted the guards and they're dealing with it. Said they wouldn't normally have for fear they'd be blamed, but what was left of the guy. Well. Let's just say no working girl could do damage like that. Check it out at night if you must. Better for your magic."

"I suppose you're right." Reluctantly, Blake came back to sit down. Her fingers drummed on the table and her foot tapped on the wooden floor. Yang's eyes narrowed, the fidgeting from the normally placid Arcanist grinding on her.

"What does this mean? Did this happen in Menagerie too?"

"Yes. Small attacks at first. We thought it wild animals too – even the Collegium did. They escalated quickly, despite our efforts to hunt the Grimm down. We thought it was just the one. A rogue mankiller on the loose. We were wrong. We were so very wrong."

"How long do we have left?" Yang asked. "In your opinion."

"Impossible to say. Could be months, a year, or even just weeks. It depends on how far the Collegium goes to try and clear them out, too. Menagerie was caught off guard. Vale knows this is coming, even if they're not admitting it. I imagine they're taking precautions right now. In the meantime…"

Blake took out a small wrapped package and tossed it onto the table. It landed with a somewhat wet thump. Gingerly, Yang reached for it, only to pause when a sweet and juicy scent reached her nostrils. Immediately, her mouth began to water.

"Is… Is this…?"

"Thought I'd pick something up while I was in the Merchant's Quarter."

Yang snatched and unwrapped it, almost drowning on her drool as the thick cut of ham drizzled with honey and lightly peppered assaulted her nose and eyes at once. It was so thick. So juicy and tender. Yang snarled like a wild animal as she bit into it, tearing a soft chunk free that preceded to melt in her mouth.

"I take it you approve."

"Why didn't you lead with this!?" Yang all but shrieked. "I was eating bread as hard as rock!"

"I know." The Arcanist's lips quirked upward. "It was funny."

"Fuck you and your sense of humour!"

"But…?" Blake teased.

Red faced and with her stomach growling louder than she was, Yang wilted and ground out, "Thank you for the treat."

"Not sure I heard that properly." The cheeky bitch had but still leaned in to cup a hand before her feline ear, smiling like the cat who'd caught the canary. "Want to say it a little louder? I think there was something about how wonderful I am missing from that statement."

"Don't push it," Yang mumbled around rich ham.

"Shame." Blake dangled another pouch from her finger, along with a cloth wrapped parcel. "And here I thought you could wash it down with freshly squeezed orange juice and some caramelised fruit. All you need to do is tell me how wonderful I am."

"You sick son of a bitch…"

Blake dangled the treats from her finger. "I can't hear you…?"

Yang whimpered.

/-/

"Weiss?" Sun looked surprised to find her knocking on his door, though not half as surprised as the other men on his floor who weren't even trying to act like they weren't watching. "Oh wow. A pretty Arcanist coming to my quarters. Is this Sun's moment to shine?"

"Don't get your hopes up. I'm not stepping past that doorframe."

"Ah Weiss, you're breaking my heart." Sun cupped his chest as though gripping an arrow buried in it. "And after I professed my deep and undying love for you."

Improper, her stern upbringing pointed out. Typical Sun, her more recent time at the Collegium decided. What should have been a grand insult – nay, potentially a scandalous and reputation destroying comment – never came across as such when it was out his mouth. Possibly because she could tell he didn't mean it seriously. The way he smiled always told her it was a joke designed to rile her up. Well, two could play at that game.

"Really? And here I was sure you were Jaune's bottom boy."

"Ooooh!" a few of the other men around cheered. "You need some salve for that burn, Sun?"

"Ha. Maybe Jaune can rub it in for you."

"Hey, screw you guys!" Sun laughed and waved his fist at them. "You're just jealous I'm getting myself some sweet Arc loving. You know what they say – blondes always have more fun." His comment drew laughter from the crowd, who went back to their own lives without care for her. Funnily enough, it was _with_ Sun and not at him, despite what she would have expected of people his age and the rough nature of the guards.

If such rumours had flown about her and Ruby in the dorms, it might have caused a scandal that would reach her father's ears, and then there'd be questions posed to her. Angry letters. If either of them had been committed to marry another, their families might get involved too, and even if the rumours were proven false, there was a good chance they'd be forced to switch room assignments.

"Got rid of our audience," Sun quipped. "So, we doing this? Don't worry. I don't kiss and tell."

"If you were half as hilarious as you seem to think you are, the world would be a better place. Is Jaune in? I was hoping to speak with you both."

"He's out. Came back last night to let me know he was alive and buggered off after for business." Sun sounded and looked upset. Uncharacteristically so. It wasn't just her having problems with roommates, then. "I don't know what's gotten into him lately. He's been so cold. Doesn't want to hang out and will barely talk unless talked to."

"Maybe he's stressed. You heard what happened."

"Yeah, but this has been going on since before that. Before Ruby even went into those Archives."

Weiss wasn't surprised news of the mythical Azure Archives had spread to the common guards. Despite that they'd not entered it, practically all the Initiates in the Collegium were aware of it now. It was hard to hide all those injured people being treated out on the grass.

"That's a shame. I was hoping to ask you and him to come cheer Ruby up."

"Ah." Sun leaned on the doorframe. "You want to come in and talk? No funny business, I swear."

"I'd rather not. While I do trust you, I don't trust anyone else here not to say anything if I'm seen entering a boy's room without a chaperone."

"Fair enough. Wait two seconds for me to put some boots on and we'll talk outside."

Weiss nodded and stepped back as the door closed. Only about fifteen seconds later, Sun returned fully dressed and with his Newblood cloak swung over one shoulder. He wore it well despite his sunny disposition and bright hair. He was still a very broad-shouldered man with powerful muscles, and, like most people, he was quite a bit taller than she.

They walked out of the barracks together with Weiss explaining Ruby's mood the night before and in the morning. On Sun's questioning, she also explained what little she felt safe of the meeting with the Grand Arcanist. Mostly Ruby's reckless argument with Arcanist Goodwitch toward the end of it.

"It's not like I don't agree," Weiss said, "But I can also understand Lady Goodwitch's point. If there's simply no other means to secure them safely, it becomes a question of one man's health versus that of everyone else in the Collegium. I may not like it, but I had no better solution."

"I don't think Ruby blames you for it," Sun reasoned. "It sounds more like she's upset with herself. That happens. I remember in training when we were paired up and I let Jaune down. I was meant to cover his back, but my opponent got past me and struck him. It was a heavy blow to the back of his head, put him in the infirmary for two nights. I knew then it wasn't my fault – our opponents beat us and that's kinda the point of the exercise – but I still felt awful for not being able to look after him. Maybe she feels the same way."

"About a criminal?"

"Sure. Down there, it was them and the Grimm. I'm not sure it matters who is what when those things are after you."

"I suppose so. They… I…"

Sun stopped and held her arm. It was improper, but at that moment she really didn't care. "What were they like?" he asked. "I've seen them at a distance but only once and it was a display. We saw it killed by Crimson Arcanists and there was never any danger. I hear this was worse."

"It… It was horrible. I was terrified." There, she admitted it. Accepted it. She hadn't been the only one driven to the brink of terror, but she was of the White. This was the life she'd chosen. Pyrrha hadn't been afraid. Pyrrha didn't falter. "I saw people ripped apart. There was so much blood."

Shivering, she didn't complain when Sun's hand slid up her arm to her shoulder. "It wasn't what I expected," she went on. "I thought it would be scary monsters taken down by disciplined spellfire and trained soldiers. It wasn't. They didn't fight like animals either! They might have had claws and teeth, but they never fought with the expectation of coming out alive. Nevermore would fly headfirst into people. Sometimes _through_ them. Imagine it. Tiny birds puncturing through a person's chest and flying out their back, broken winged and dying, but doing it anyway."

"It sounds horrifying."

"It was. I saw someone picked up by hundreds of them and ripped apart in the air. There was so much blood falling all around us it felt like rain. I didn't get close to any of them, but I was still sure I'd never make it out alive."

"Hell. Sounds like Ruby isn't the only one needs a little time to recover…"

"I… I guess you're right. And what Ruby said after in front of the Grand Arcanist? I don't know how she could be so brave. And what _they_ said. They didn't accuse her, not specifically, but it felt like she was being blamed for working with a Wildmage even though they could have never survived without him."

"Sounds like a good man."

Weiss paused and looked back to the faunus. "The Wildmage…?"

"Sure. He obviously didn't _need_ them to get him out alive, but he let them come with him."

He was right. The Wildmage handled everything on his own, broke the back of the Grimm assault and dragged Ruby and her Arcanist mentor through. He could have done all that on his own as well. He didn't _need_ either of them.

_The Wildmage had to know what awaited him here, especially if he was a prisoner once in Menagerie before. Why, then, did he help Ruby and Arcanist Merlot to safety? I don't think I would have if the situation were reversed._

"I… well, yes, I think you're right. It's fortunate he was there."

"I'm betting Ruby feels the same, which is why she's so angry at how he got treated. He went out his way to help her and she couldn't return the favour."

"Ruby is nothing if not honourable," Weiss agreed. "It would be just like her to blame herself for being unable to help, even if it really isn't her fault." It was that same courage that let Ruby stand up to Malneux despite his social rank. "I just wish _I_ could have done something as well. I feel like I've let her down by not stepping in."

"You tried." He gave her shoulder a little push before letting go. "Ruby isn't the type to begrudge that. Keep in mind she likes to visit the Sanctum too. Might be a part of this."

"I'm aware of her frankly worrying hobby. What of it?"

"Well, Menagerie had a Sanctum too. What if she _knew_ this guy before Vale?"

If she'd visited the Sanctum in Menagerie too. It was plausible. No, Ruby had said she never actually entered Menagerie's Collegium and that was how she escaped the city falling. She had the Arcanum because she was to enter it that year. Still, it wasn't impossible to imagine her sympathy toward the people in Vale's Sanctum colouring her view of another's.

More than that, it might have saved her life. Perhaps the Wildmage spared and then decided to help Ruby _because_ she didn't take the same view as so many others. Everyone else was taught to abhor and hunt the Wildmage, especially those in the White like her.

_Wait, is Ruby angry because of that? Because the White did all those things and I-?_

Did Ruby think she was siding with the White over her? Weiss bit her lip, worrying her teeth into the flesh of it as she walked alongside Sun, now thankfully silent. The White did not falter. That was what she'd been taught and what Arcanist Goodwitch said, but the White had also poisoned the survivors of Menagerie. No matter their crimes or indiscretion, Ruby had to have taken that seriously. Lady Goodwitch had as good as said she would have killed Ruby in cold blood if it was for the betterment of Vale.

And if it was okay to kill those Arcanists because they accepted the help of a Wildmage, then what was the difference between what they had done and what Ruby did? She, too, had accepted the guidance and support of that faunus Wildmage.

_The White wouldn't kill Ruby. It couldn't. She's an innocent Arcanist!_

But the White, she could not help but recall, did not falter. No matter _what_ their duties asked of them. Theirs was to carry out the harshest tasks no other would, to make the big decisions that would shape the survival of the Collegium, regardless of the cost.

_Could I kill Ruby if I were ordered to…?_

No. The answer came immediately. No, she could not. There wasn't even any doubt there. If they tried to make that order, she would not only refuse to carry it out but rush to Ruby's side to warn her. For all the good that would do. They'd both be hunted down and killed long before they had a chance to escape the Collegium.

Even so, she could never turn on Ruby like the White in the Archives had on his fellow Arcanists. It was simply inconceivable for her. But not, perhaps, for Ruby. What if Ruby, having witnessed and experienced the White's devotion first-hand, thought she might do it? Was that why Ruby was so tense around her?

_I would never, but does Ruby know that…?_

"We need to talk with her," Weiss said. "Please come with me? I… I'm not sure how this will go, and I'd appreciate a neutral party to help out."

"Wouldn't call myself neutral. You're both friends." Sun grinned nonetheless. "Still, I guess that means I can't leave you two alone. Me being called up to keep _two_ gorgeous girls company. Guess life really is looking up for this rogue."

Weiss laughed, despite how improper his comments were. "You are a scoundrel and will always be one."

"That's a promise, princess. Now, let's go see to Ruby." Under his breath, he added, "And maybe after, I can convince Jaune to pull his head out his ass and stop acting like a selfish prick. He's been shitty ever since the White asked to talk to him."

The White…? Weiss' eyes snapped to Sun, mind whirling. It was dismissed a moment later - or set aside. It was something to think on when her head was clear and once the current business with Ruby was seen to.

"Ask me again after we've handled Ruby," she said. "I may be able to speak with him in private if he's working alongside the White. He may be able to avoid you, but he can't avoid me if I come to him on official White Arcana business."

"Yeah? I'd appreciate that. He's been…" Sun shook his head, worry clearly marking his frown. "Something is up with him, Weiss. He's not acting normal."

There seemed to be a whole lot of `not acting normal` going around right now. It was something to investigate for sure.

* * *

**Little snippet of how Yang and Blake are doing. Starting to banter at last, a sign of how they're coming together a little. Hard not to after the hard times they've been through together during and immediately after the floods. Nothing like adversity to build bonds.**

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**Next Chapter: 26****th**** July**

**P a treon . com (slash) Coeur **


	50. Chapter 50

**Ignore the troll spamming guest reviews as usual**

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**Cover Art:** Z-ComiX

**Chapter 50**

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Ruby's head perked up when the door opened, though she had to repress a sigh at the fact Weiss had returned with company. Sun strolled into their room with a crude comment on being invited into the boudoir of two ladies, earning a furious squawk from Weiss that almost, despite all her efforts, brought forth a giggle of her own.

It didn't feel right to laugh considering what happened.

"Alright." Sun stomped up to her bed, gripped the covers and yanked them off her. All of this regardless of Weiss' horrified gasp and the fact Ruby could have been naked underneath.

"Sun!" Weiss shrieked.

"No time for going easy. I'm already dealing with one broody ass bastard without adding Ruby to the list. Rise and shine, Lady Initiate. The sun is shining, the birds are chirping and the Newbloods are wondering why their favourite Arcanist won't do morning drills with them anymore. Course, most Arcanists are stuffy pricks, so `favourite` isn't saying much. No offence, Weiss."

"None taken…? No, wait…"

"Cool." Sun yanked Ruby's pillow out from under her when she tried to cling onto it and roll over to show him her back. "Ah-ah-ah. None of that. You think I've not had to deal with sleepy Newbloods before?"

More fool him if he thought the lack of a pillow would bother her. She'd spent years sleeping on hard floors and Yang's shoulder. Hunching up, she locked an elbow over each ear and closed her eyes, determined to at least pretend she couldn't hear him. It seemed to work. Sun sighed, padded away from her and she heard a door open.

She thought he was leaving for a moment and then his footsteps came back, and she heard Weiss stammer out, "W-What are you doing?"

"Waking Ruby up. Time to wake up, sunshine!"

Ice cold water doused down over her, startling her like a cat. Shrieking and bouncing up off the bed, she landed on all fours bedraggled and soaked through, nightgown clinging to her skin. Sun stood in front of her bed, an empty pot in hand and a shit-eating grin on his face.

"S-Sun!" Weiss yelled. "Avert your eyes!"

"Morning Ruby. Lovely day, isn't it?"

"You son of a backstreet whore!" Ruby's mouth moved without thought, lips peeled back into a snarl. "I hope your dick rots and falls off!"

"Ruby!?" Absolutely mortified, Weiss rushed over to clamp a hand over her mouth, cutting off the stream of vitriolic threats mid-flow. "I'm so sorry, Sun, I have no idea where such languages comes from. Not that it was right of you to throw water on her!"

"Ha ha ha!" Sun bellowed his laughter. "That's more like it. Come on, Ruby. Show me some fire."

"I'll show you fire!" Ruby growled, yanking Weiss' hand off her mouth. "I'll show you it when I push your stupid blonde head into a furnace. Maybe someone can make a sword out of your head since it's obviously the densest material known to man! You… You…" A growl escaped her, followed quickly by a sneeze and a shiver. Her nightgown had gone see-through in places. "You ugly ass piece of shit!"

"Ruby!" Weiss silenced her by pushing Ruby's blue robes into her face. "Get dressed and for the love of all that's right in the world stop talking so vulgarly! It is not how a lady speaks. And you, Sun, I asked you here to _help_ make Ruby feel better. Not cast water on her and ogle her body like a letch."

Ruby yanked the robes down and glared at her roommate. "You invited him here!?"

"Ah. Well, you see, I wanted to get you out of your funk…"

"I was _fine_ in my funk!" she snapped.

"You were being a mopey-ass bitch." Sun grinned when Weiss gasped. "And yeah, I can swear as well as the next if I have to. Rough and tumble Merchant Quarter brat here. Not everyone grew up with a silver spoon in their mouth." He leaned forward to add, "Or one shoved up their ass."

"How about I shove my hand up your ass instead?"

"Ruby Rose!" Weiss had apparently had enough, because she practically jumped on her and wrestled Ruby into the robe, pulling it on over her nightgown while also stopping her from speaking. "Never have I heard such words. If my father heard me utter them, I'd be in such trouble I wouldn't be able to walk for a week."

"Eh." Sun grinned as Ruby was forcefully dressed. "I thought they were pretty tame."

"You would you… you savage! To think I thought you would help her feel better."

Was that why he'd done this? Ruby obediently held her hands up and let Weiss drag the robe down over her head. It was a clean one thankfully, the old one covered by now in blood and muck. Glaring over at Sun, she held up a finger when Weiss couldn't see. The Newblood returned it, grinning like a madman.

Prick. The worst part was that her misery had abated just a little – but she sure as hell wasn't going to admit that to him. _He's like a male Yang,_ she thought unflatteringly. _Yang always riles me up when I'm in a mood as well. _

"Well, the bed is wet and it's pretty stuffy in here." Sun moved over and opened the curtains, smashing Ruby in the face with bright sunlight. He ignored her annoyed hiss. "I say we go outside and catch some fresh air."

"You can go ahead," Ruby snapped. "I'll stay here."

Sun approached with a wide smile.

/-/

"This isn't proper!"

Weiss followed them out the dorms, quailing under the shocked stares of passing Initiates. Her face kept alternating between indignant shock and utter embarrassment, which was rich when she wasn't the one being carried over Sun's shoulder like a sack of meat.

Ruby pouted, elbows on his back and chin in her hands, refusing to kick or struggle because that'd only give him the satisfaction. Instead, she hung limp, legs hanging down his front while he had one hand on the small of her back and the other holding her knees. The bastard was even whistling a jaunty little tune.

"This is highly improper!" Weiss went on. "Why, people watching might think the two of you are together! What if they believe Ruby's honour impugned? It may be fine for you, but this could terribly impact her chances of a good marriage match!"

"Oh wow. That'd be a shame. Would it make it better if I threw her in the river?"

Ruby stilled. "You wouldn't dare…"

Sun looked back over his shoulder at her. His smile grew. "Wouldn't I…?"

The switch from defiantly limp to thrashing madwoman was a sudden one. Kicking, squirming and lashing out in every direction with her arms, she managed to get off him by virtue of hitting the back of his head and wriggling out his grip while he was stunned. Weiss moved to try and catch her, but Ruby hit the floor in a roll before she could, recovering without any difficulty. A drop off Sun's shoulders was nothing compared to jumping off a rooftop.

"Ow." Sun rubbed the back of his head with a rueful expression. "You could have gone easy on me there."

"You're lucky I didn't strangle you." Growling and sighing at the same time – it came out a ruffled huff – she crossed her arms and glared at him out the corner of one eye. "Fine. I'm out. My day of laying in bed is ruined. Are you happy now?"

"Dunno. Do I get a thank you kiss?"

"You can kiss my knuckles."

"Like a noble…?"

Ruby raised her fist threateningly.

"Ah, like a proper person. See, that's why you're my favourite Arcanist. None of that noblesse oblige nonsense. Weiss is my second favourite," he said, shooting the embarrassed noble a roguish wink. "Though she could jump up to first if she wanted to kiss my injury better."

"That's a lot of focus on kissing lately," Ruby said. "Is Jaune not going down on you anymore?"

Weiss gargled on the very air she breathed.

Sun just laughed. "He's holding out. Can you believe it?" He feigned a weak and frightened tone. "Do you… Do you think he's getting some elsewhere? Is he cheating on me? Lay it on me, Ruby. Is it me?" He turned around. "Does my butt look big in this armour?"

"Like the back end of a cow."

"Eh. You're just jealous. Weiss is suffocating by the way…"

Ruby raised an eyebrow and looked back, rolling her eyes at how wide Weiss' eyes were. _Sheesh, it's like she's never heard a bit of banter before._ Ruby thumped her back a bit, allowing Weiss to cough and wheel on her with sheer panic.

"W-What was that? Ruby, you can't _talk_ like that."

"Just did. It's fine."

"It's not fine! It's… It's vulgar. Horribly vulgar! Nobles don't _do_ that."

"What? Have sex? Makes me wonder how anyone is born then…" She ignored the way Sun burst out laughing. "It's fine, Weiss. I don't care about a marriage match." A few people were still watching, stunned and disgusted. "What are you lot all looking at?" They quickly found other places to be. "Idiots."

"They're scions of powerful houses," Weiss whispered. "They're not idiots!"

An idiot was an idiot. It didn't matter who they were born to or what their parents had achieved – that just mean their parents weren't idiots. Then again, the nobles all took such pride in their names that it probably all mingled together for them. It was actually kind of pathetic really. People basking in the glory of deeds done by ancestors and pretending they had a hand in it.

Weiss was better than that since her family didn't have anything to rely on – and yet the fact she was trying to make her own fame was somehow seen as a laughable thing. Stupid. None of them knew what it was like to suffer.

"Better she's angry than miserable," Sun said to Weiss. "I think this is an improvement."

"That's easy for you to say. You're not the one she's going to be furious at later. I didn't mean for you to come and harass her like this!"

Did Weiss think she'd blame her? That was depressing. Ruby sighed, shaking her head and reminding herself that Weiss and Sun really weren't the ones to blame for her current mood. "It's fine, Weiss. I'm not angry at you. Or Sun," she added. "It's everything else that happened. The Archives, the Grimm and…"

"The Wildmage?" Sun asked. "Weiss explained it all. Sounds like a rough deal all round, and that guy obviously helped you out."

Ruby relaxed slightly. "You're not against him…?"

"Judge a man by his actions, not his birth. That's what I always say." Sun's grin slipped. "Course, being as we're here in the Collegium I'm pretty much the only person with that perspective. Birth is a big deal around here."

Was that really it? Was that how simple it was? Most people in the slums judged you for the promises you did and didn't keep because who even knew where half of them were born from? You were born to filth and you could die, turn rotten or crawl your way out to make something of your life, short as it might be.

Yang was known and respected not because she was kind or gentle or because Summer and Taiyang had been of note, but because she stuck to what she said. If she said she'd break your hand for not having Junior's money, she'd break your hand. If she said you had ten days to pay, no one would dare come near you until then. Harsh but honest. Unmoving but reasonable. People knew she could be trusted because she didn't go back on what she promised, good or bad.

A little of that held true for her as well. It wasn't like she was as well-known, but those in the know trusted her to deliver messages without opening them. Junior had trusted her to carry money back when others might have tried to steal some. That was balanced by the fact she'd always known he was a stingy bastard who would count every lien and take a finger if she tried, but still, she judged him for who he was, and he gave her the same courtesy.

_Nobles are raised to believe birth and blood are important. That probably works the other way too – some blood being tainted or evil just because someone in the past did something. _

If a Wildmage had once wreaked havoc, she could imagine them hating all Wildmages forever in the same way they respected every scion of a certain house because of something good an ancestor of his did.

"What about you?" Ruby asked Weiss, trying not to show how much she needed this answer. "He saved my life. I wouldn't have made it without him. Does that make him guilty?"

"It doesn't change the fact he's guilty."

Ruby eyes slid away.

"But I still think how he was treated was wrong!" she quickly finished. "He's a Wildmage no matter what, so technically he did break the law, but he surrendered and helped you. That should have earned him some respect. It's as you said, if every Wildmage knows that is to be their fate then why _wouldn't_ they turn violent?"

Ruby nodded. Maybe that was as much as she could expect from Weiss – she was a noble after all. Everything that had been drilled into everyone else here had been forced on her twice as hard because her father wanted her to be perfect.

"I also disagree with what Lady Goodwitch said. Associating with the Wildmage should not have earned those Arcanists death, and it certainly shouldn't reflect on you. I won't let it. You're my friend and I'm just glad you're back alive and well."

That was probably the best she was going to get.

"Thanks Weiss."

/-/

After they'd taken all the effort to get her out her room, Ruby deigned to eat lunch with them on the lawns, fighting back her mood to eat and listen to them chat. It was mostly Sun riling Weiss up for her and his amusement, but it kept Ruby from having to talk much so she enjoyed it all the same. Sun was called off for midday training before they could finish, and Weiss apologised and explained she and everyone from the White Arcana who attended the Archives had to attend a debriefing.

That left her on her own, and while she wanted nothing more than to go straight to the Sanctum, the bracelet from Atlas had yet to be removed. Instead, she made her way to the Archives, not intending to enter but to find some solace in its quiet, peaceful halls.

It was anything but.

Azure Arcanists stood outside arguing loudly with those in White robes. The doors were flung open and what she was sure were _Sanctum Guards_ stood flanking it. Inside, white robed figures mulled about, while the Librarian from the Archives was loudly shouting and gesticulating.

She spied Jaune in the entranceway and waved toward him. He looked steadfast and determined, and his eyes scanned over her, drawn by her gesture. They swept on, not even acknowledging her, not once returning her greeting. He must have been busy, but couldn't he at least have smiled? They hadn't seen one another for a week and she'd almost died in there…

Ruby saw Ren on the outskirts and slid over towards him instead. He looked back when she whispered his name, favouring her with a tired and polite smile. "Ruby. I see you've arrived in time to witness the festivities."

"What's happening?"

"The White-" He snapped the term. "-are barring us from entering the Archives. Both the real and the false for now," he added with a frustrated sound. "All my research is in there. Everyone's is. I can understand the Archives below being sealed off, but not the entire building. It's a waste of all our time."

Ren turned back and Ruby stepped up beside him, listening to the librarian argue with a man in white. His Arcanum featured a singular red stone to mark his second focus, but from clothing alone it was clear he considered the Crimson a supplement to his true calling, not equal to it.

"The Grimm had been cleared away long before we left the Archives and the Wildmage saw to it that the rest were finished. The Grand Arcanist himself declared the threat dealt with. What reason have you to bar us entry from the Archives?"

"The Grimm were drawn to our Collegium because of the concentration of Arcanists. Allowing the Azure to enter that place once more only risks a repeat incident."

"You are suggesting complete closure of the Archives!?" The Librarian's voice rose in shock and many others around them muttered angrily.

"I am not. This is only temporary."

"Nonsense. Whether you let us in now or in two weeks from now there will still be a concentration of Arcanists. Nothing will have changed based on the time you keep us out. And don't believe me foolish enough not to notice the White coming and going as they please. Clearly, you're not too worried about drawing more Grimm."

"The White is conducting tests to measure the threat. Our work is to the protection of the Collegium, of which the Azure Arcana is a member. We do what we must to protect you and yours, Lord Arcanist. Please understand this."

"What of our research?" someone within the crowd shouted. "Why can't we collect our materials from our chambers? Those aren't under threat."

"The White has temporarily closed the Azure Archives to better allow us to deal with the problem. This is an inconvenience, I am aware, but it would only be more of one if we allowed the Azure to come and go. Would you rather we be here for one week or four?"

A week!? And that was just a guess. Why close the building for a whole week? That was ridiculous. The Azure would essentially be left directionless for that time – unable to continue their work, research or even study in the safety of the upstairs library.

_Will we ever get the Archives back? There's still so much in there to learn._

All that effort she'd put into the Rubricator too.

"Ahem." A cough from the top of the staircase drew all eyes to Lady Goodwitch herself. Ruby shied behind Ren, hiding her snarl as the woman looked down on the Azure. "If you are done harassing the one I set to answer your questions, I am here to ease the inconvenience of our presence." Her eyes narrowed. "If you are prepared to co-operate, that is."

"It's not us who aren't co-operating," the librarian said. "We evacuated the Archives as you ordered. We have spoken of its secrets to assist the White. We have obeyed the Grand Arcanist's instructions. It is you who throws aside the sanctity of the Arcana system to further your own agenda."

"My _agenda_ as you put it is to protect the Collegium. If I must step on toes to achieve that, I shall. I certainly won't apologise for it. As for your research and materials," she said loudly. "We will be allowing Arcanists into the building for a limited time and under escort to acquire any materials they wish from their chambers."

Murmurs broke out across the crowd. They were indignant and impatient, but the news was received well enough, if reluctantly.

"The White understands the disruption it is causing and will do its best to limit that. However, to make this easier on everyone and not intrude on important security measures being taken against the Grimm, you will be escorted into the building to collect your research in a limited fashion."

A gesture brought forth three Initiates carrying a wooden box between them. They placed it down and the third drew out some parchment and quill. None of it looked magical in any way.

"To assist in making the process faster, please write your name and chamber number on a piece of parchment and place it into the box. Our clerks shall go through them tonight and organise times for everyone to collect any material they have. I understand this may not be what you all wish, but it is the best we can offer at this time. There _are_ still Grimm present in the Azure Archives, and we need to know who, how many and where we can find any of you in the event of a crisis."

There was nothing they could say to that. Azure Arcanists walked up and started to write their details down and slip them into the box, many shooting Goodwitch or the Initiates dirty looks as they did. This wouldn't be the end of it. If they tried to seal off the Archives permanently, she was sure there would be riots.

Well, whatever nobles did in the event of riots anyway. Muttered protests? Angry letters? Whatever it was, the Azure wouldn't sit in silence while their greatest asset and the very thing that defined them as an Arcana was taken away.

Ren left to write his details down and then return. "Aren't you going up as well?" he asked her.

"My research is tied to Merlot's," she lied. "We're doing the same thing, so he'll get it all out his chamber. He wouldn't want me touching his stuff anyway."

"Fair enough." Ren sighed. "This is all such a hassle, but I suppose there's no fighting it. We'll have to make the best of the situation. With any luck it'll be dealt with soon."

"What will you do in the meanwhile?"

"I suppose I'll honour your debt and spend some time with Nora." He flashed her a small smile and petted her shoulder. "A shame we didn't have longer to make use of the Rubricator, but a debt is a debt." He moved past her. "I will see you later, perhaps when the Archives is open again."

Ruby nodded and turned back to the melee of Arcanists writing their names down. There didn't seem to be anything off about the parchment or the box. Goodwitch had also gone back inside, her work done.

Spying Merlot on the far side and not at all interested in doing the same as his fellows, she made her way over, skirting the crowd. He saw her coming and nodded once, signalling it safe to approach. "Ruby," he greeted. "I'd say good day, but it really isn't. Distasteful to see grown men and women squabble like children, isn't it?"

"A little. Do you think there's a spell on the box?"

"Paranoid little thing." He chuckled. "I would say not. There are too many here who would sense it if that were the case. No, this is simply their way of getting the Azure off their backs as they plunder the Archives for knowledge and treasure."

Ruby stiffened. "Do you think…?"

"Almost certainly." He gestured for them to walk away a littles, keeping his voice low. "The Grimm are a threat of course, but this is all just a convenient excuse for them."

"You said they've always had people in the Archives. What has changed?"

"The Rubricator, dear Initiate. You must think it such a small thing but recall that it has the power to locate _any book_ within the Archives. There must have been quite the frenzy in the White on hearing that. I'm sure your name came up a few times." Ruby tensed, but he laid a hand on her shoulder. "Worry not. I doubt they would think it suspicious."

"What do they want in there? More censoring?"

"Possibly. Or perhaps they have their own secrets they search for. Who can say how the White works but one within them? Even then, I expect only those in positions of leadership know the true purpose of this."

Ruby eyed the Arcanist warily. "Are you sure you're not the one being paranoid?"

"I might be. It's not something I'm willing to ignore, however." Merlot stopped them and reached down to her wrist. "I have procured permission to remove this," he said, taking the bracelet. "Everyone's will be removed tomorrow but I sought permission early."

With a brief flare of magic, the seemingly whole bracelet clicked open. Ruby took her hand back and rubbed her wrist. It hadn't been tight by any means but now that it was off, she wondered how she hadn't felt the weight of it.

"Don't do anything suspicious," he told her. "Don't be tempted to sneak out tonight either. I would not put it past Ironwood and Goodwitch to pay attention tonight, and if you are the only Initiate not wearing this and you're found absent from your room? Well, you can imagine how that might raise eyebrows. Especially if a Wildmage is spotted within the city."

"I'll stay in the Collegium until everyone is untracked. Do you know if I'll be able to visit the Sanctum?"

"Without raising suspicion? I doubt that. Then again…" Merlot cupped his chin and hummed. "You might be able to if you embrace their ire. The Grand Arcanist and Lady Goodwitch are already aware you harbour some sympathies for Adam. It wouldn't be beyond belief for you to want to visit him and apologise for what happened. I'm sure Lady Goodwitch would be frustrated at such sentimentality, but she couldn't exactly argue it's out of character or suspicious behaviour."

"Is it wise to annoy them on purpose…?"

"To be honest, no, but since when are children your age known for their wisdom? You could argue it might be more suspicious of you _not_ to seek Adam out. They might think it strange you haven't tried when you were known before for visiting the Sanctum at least twice a week."

He had a point. Before, she'd not thought twice about going there, and it was only the bracelet which stopped her. There wouldn't be any risk of her being outed for it either – she had to sign in whenever she went, so if she were called up again to explain there would be the same proof there had been last time that she hadn't snuck out the Collegium.

_Better they think I'm a defiant Initiate sympathetic to a Wildmage than them figuring out I'm a Wildmage myself. _Maybe it _would_ be a good idea to own the image she was making for herself.

"Would you like me to set up a meeting with the Grand Arcanist?" Merlot offered.

"No. That's fine. I'll think about it."

"As you will. There won't be anything I need of you until I can acquire my research. Worry not for anything they might find. I kept nothing on you or your nature, and my studies into the Grimm are known to Ozpin, and thus to the White as well. There's nothing to be found there. If anyone asks why I am not teaching you, mention that I have granted us both a week's rest to recover from our ordeal."

"Sure." Ruby nodded her head and backed away. "What will we do about your research?"

"There are other ways to procure Grimm. I may even request approval to bring you out of the Collegium." He looked her way, watching her draw in a sharp breath. "I may try," he said carefully. "I can guarantee precious little."

"R-Right. Thank you. Let me know?"

"Of course. I'll send word if I need you. Do try and stay out of trouble until then."

That was a promise she couldn't make.

/-/

It was dark out when she approached the Sanctum. Convincing Weiss to let her go meet the Wildmage hadn't been easy, but she'd eventually caved if only because there was no way for Adam to hurt her now that he was in the Sanctum. What had gone unsaid was that Ruby hadn't exactly asked for permission to come.

Merlot might be angry, but this was something she'd always done, and if that meant getting in trouble then that was also something perfectly normal for her. Goodwitch would huff and puff and complain, but she couldn't say it was unusual.

_Ironwood said the only reason I couldn't go in was because it made the tracking bracelet lose its hold on me. Now that it's off, there's no reason why I shouldn't be allowed to go back._ At least, no reason they could argue without sounding controlling.

Getting in was easy. The gates were open and the Sanctum Guards at the main entrance to the large manor spared her a stray look and nothing else. She didn't know if they recognised her or not, but she had come in from outside and that didn't seem to bother them. Their job was to prevent those leaving. Inside, the dimly lit entrance lobby was mostly empty, save for the white-haired man behind the counter who had vouched for her before.

Jaune's father, Nicholas. Ruby slid up to the front desk and waited for him to notice her.

"Ah." He smiled faintly. "I believe I know you. Juniper…?"

Her smile faltered a little. "It's Ruby."

"Forgive me." His eyes flashed with something akin to sadness. "Ruby, of course. The name is familiar now. You are…" He closed his eyes, frowned and held a hand up for her to wait. "No, there is something. Something important. One second please." Pulling away from her, he reached into a bag beneath the desk he was working at and came back up with a sealed envelope. "This is for you."

"A letter?" Ruby swallowed. Why would the Sanctum have a letter for her? Could Cinder and Adam write out? Why would they? It would only draw attention to her! "Um. Why do you have a letter for me, Mr Arc? Did someone inside the Sanctum write it?"

"No. I believe it was myself."

"You… believe…?"

"I cannot remember," he admitted sorrowfully. "I woke up to find it on my bed a week past. There was another beside it, written by myself, explaining that I had to keep this on me and deliver it to the one named. I had signed it myself. I can't remember why or what it contains, but I sounded serious." He chuckled. "I must sound insane to you. I apologise. My… My memory isn't what it used to be. There are times I can hardly remember my name, let alone others."

"Oh. Thank you, then. I'll read it now?"

He shook his head and pushed the open book of names to her. "Later. Please sign yourself in." He brought out the purple sash that she would wear to denote herself a guest, while she wrote her name down, thankful for the writing lessons from Cinder. "Thank you. And welcome back."

He smiled an odd smile. It ought to have been warm, and there certainly wasn't anything cold about it, but his eyes lacked much emotion to back it up. He looked like a puppet smiling. Frozen and false. It could have been his illness, she supposed. Not wanting to be rude, she smiled back, pulled the sash on and made her way into the Sanctum, stopping around a corner in a dark corridor to slide a finger under the sealed envelope and break the wax.

The parchment inside was faded and crinkled, wet on one corner from something spilled upon it. The author had clearly been writing in a hurry – and that fact was even more obvious by the text. It was scrawled at such speed that it was almost illegible. It was also uneven and messy, with numerous notes written around it as though he'd lost focus numerous times in the writing.

"_Remember. Remember. Remember,"_ she read, the word repeating itself and sometimes being underlined, as if he'd been forcing himself to recall something while trying to pen it. _"Don't forget,"_ other scribbles said. _"Remember who you are. Nicholas Arc. Nicholas Arc. Remember."_ Further along, another quick word read. _"Juniper? Who is Juniper? Why do I feel sad whenever I write this?"_

It was a look into the mind of a man unable to maintain his sense of self. She'd seen elderly and infirm who were like that, forgetting details in their final moments. Most died soon after and she felt that might have been a blessing for everyone involved. It couldn't be easy to lose track of who you were, and it couldn't be easy for family spending a person's last moments with them to realise you'd been forgotten.

As sympathetic as she was, the message just seemed to be the musings of one such man. The scrawl went on all over the parchment, some of it written at angles like he'd been turning the parchment around to find space. She put it away to mull on later, only to notice more on the back of the parchment when she slid it back into the envelope.

The message was clearer – not any less hastily written – but because it was only the one message on the back. Just the one.

"_They will make my son like me. It has already begun. Please save him."_

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**Welp.**

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**Next Chapter: 2****nd**** August**

**P a treon . com (slash) Coeur **


	51. Chapter 51

**Ignore the troll spamming guest reviews as usual**

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**Cover Art:** Z-ComiX

**Chapter 51**

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Ruby stared down at the paper.

As suspicious as it was, as much as she was probably meant to be subtle, she couldn't help doubling back. The entrance hall was mostly empty anyway, so she hurried back over to the desk and tapped on the wood to get the man's attention.

"Ah," he said, smiling. "I believe I know you. Juniper…?"

Ruby's smile faltered. This felt too familiar. "It's Ruby."

"Ruby. Of course. The name is familiar. You're…" His eyes dipped a little. "Ah, the sash. Are you finished in the Sanctum tonight? I can sign you out."

"I only just arrived."

"Did you?" He hummed and looked down at his hands. "Was there something you needed then?"

"Yes. You gave me this letter a moment ago."

Nicholas frowned, looking at the envelope she offered up. "Did I…?"

"Yes. Don't you remember?"

"I'm afraid not. When was this, yesterday? A week ago? I do have a lot to work on and-"

"It was about three minutes ago!"

He looked shocked. Maybe even a little hurt. The man who looked old enough to be a grandparent leaned back and looked down at the book he was working in, eyes narrowed as if in thought. He didn't speak, even when she gave him a minute.

Ruby tried instead. "You said you have a son."

"A son? I don't – oh." He looked up. "I… I believe I do. James. No, Jayne." He scrunched his eyes shut. "J-Jaune. My son's name is Jaune." The recollection almost appeared to cause him physical pain. "He's… How old must he be now? Nine? Ten. It feels like only yesterday he bounced in my lap."

"He's eighteen."

"Oh." Nicholas Arc stared over her head. "Oh…"

"You said they're going to make him like you. You said I had to `save` him. What did you mean?"

"Did I say that? I don't remember saying that."

Ruby bit her lip and resisted the urge to shout. "Can you think of any reason I might need to save him?"

"Not really." The man chuckled. "Everything is fine. Did you need to sign out by the way? I can do that for you if you like."

"I'm…" Ruby sighed, closed her eyes and gave up. "No, it's fine. Thank you for signing me in, sir."

"No problem, Juniper. Have fun."

Ruby trudged back into the Sanctum without correcting him, unsure if she should feel frustrated or worried. There hadn't been any answers to her questions, but that was kind of an answer in itself. The words `_they will make my son like me_` suddenly sounded a lot more ominous after trying to speak with him.

She'd known something was up with Nicholas since the first time she met him, but she'd assumed it was a disability. Things like that did happen in the Slums, though no one who ended up that way ever survived the year. A lack of reaction when the floods came saw to that. She'd seen one or two who ended up that way after injuries or sickness, though, and she knew some people could be born that way.

The Noble families could afford to try and keep those people alive, but she could just imagine them wanting to hide the stain on their honour. When blood was important, you probably didn't want to suggest anything was sickly about yours. Having someone like that work in the Sanctum where they could be relatively safe, have a good life and stay out of the public eye seemed like the perfect solution. As such, she'd never bothered to question it. Nicholas Arc's mental faculties deteriorated, and his family whisked him away to somewhere he'd be safe and hidden. A cruel story, but a simple one.

"They will make my son like me…" Ruby shivered. "That implies this was intentional. Or that someone _did_ it to him. And who are they? The Sanctum Guards?"

Why would someone do this? It could work as a punishment, she supposed, but then wouldn't it also be a perfect way to control Wildmages? Why use it on your own guards? That was assuming it was intentional at all. It could be an accident.

_What am I meant to do now? I only came to see Cinder and Adam and now Jaune needs my help too?_ _I'm only one person!_

Stuffing the letter in her pocket, Ruby tugged the purple sash around her shoulders and pushed deeper into the Sanctum, heading for where Cinder often waited for her. Cinder's room was a bust, but she went to the library instead, the first place she'd met her, and quickly spotted her in the corner with a familiar person. Adam was sat across from her, the two speaking. The rest of the small library was quiet and abandoned, the two speaking by candlelight. Ruby hurried over.

Adam heard her before she arrived. His body tensed and he reached down for a sword that wasn't there before fully recognising her and relaxing. Cinder followed his gaze, eyes widening slightly before she smiled and set her book down.

"Cinder!" Ruby gasped, ambushing her with a quick hug that the woman confusedly returned. "I missed you so much!"

"I missed you too, though I was glad you never came back as a prisoner." Cinder rubbed her back before letting go. "And I see you've been making friends, too." Her eyes slid to Adam.

"It took her a while to accept I was telling the truth," the faunus said.

"I believe it easily enough," Cinder replied haughtily. "I simply refused to acknowledge it until I was certain of his loyalty. He could have been an Arcanist in disguise trying to trip me up, and then Ruby would have been thrown into the Sanctum herself."

"It's not as though I could prove I was a Wildmage here," Adam said. He saw Ruby staring at his face and touched the ugly purple welt above his left eye. "It hurts less than you'd think. Most of the other injuries have already healed."

Ruby bit her lip. "Still…"

"I warned you of this. I told you to not react whatever they did to me. I was prepared for the pain of a beating and they didn't surprise me with anything else." Chuckling, he drank from the silver cup on the table. "This place is just as opulent as the Sanctum in Menagerie. A gilded cage for prize hens. Even the Sanctum Guards feel identical, as though they're the same people."

"Are they?" Ruby asked quickly.

Adam appeared surprised by the question. "No. It was an exaggeration. I meant that they're all empty-headed and dull. There's not a lick of personality between them, but then that's how it's always been. Perhaps they don't see us as people."

_Or perhaps,_ Ruby thought anxiously, _There's something deeply wrong with them._

"I don't want to speak about the Sanctum Guards," Cinder said pointedly. "And instead about this frankly hairbrained scheme you've proposed to dear Adam here, Ruby." Looking around and lowering her voice, she hissed, "You _cannot_ think to free us from this place."

"I am."

"You're not!" she snapped. "You've lost your senses."

Ruby stepped back a little, more hurt than she was willing to admit. "Why…?" she asked quietly.

"Why? Because what you're suggesting is going against the Collegium. Against _all_ of the Collegiums. You'd make an enemy of every Arcanist on Remnant and become the most hunted figure in the land. You would _never_ find peace. You will _never_ be able to settle down. Your entire life would be one of pain, fear and constant movement. And for what?" she snapped. "To free us from here? No. I won't allow it. You are _forbidden_ from even thinking it."

"Ruby and I have an accord," Adam said dangerously.

"I made a promise," Ruby agreed. "And I always wanted to help you out-"

"Don't," Cinder said, mercilessly cutting the idea down. "I hate it here and I would love nothing more than to make them suffer for what they did to me, but that is not worth you throwing your entire life away. Mine is over, Ruby. I entered as a child and am a grown woman now. Even were I free, what would I have? No family, no loved ones and no knowledge of the world outside. I'd die within days, hunted down and slain by an Arcanist."

Adam was watching her warily, eyes narrowed and finger drumming on the table. It was obvious what he wanted to hear. Ruby swallowed and stared down at the floor. It'd been _weeks_ since she got to see Cinder in person and this kind of reception wasn't what she'd expected.

"I-I have something else I needed to ask you. One of the Sanctum Guards gave me a letter…"

"Do you think I can't spot an attempt to divert the conversation?" Cinder asked crossly. "You haven't yet promised me you'll throw away this foolish idea of yours."

Adam interrupted with a loud scoff. "I didn't realise the two of you were related."

Cinder frowned. "We're not."

"Really? You could have fooled me. You act like you're her mother."

"I do nothing of the sort!"

Cinder dove into an explanation of exactly what she was doing and how aggravating Adam was, entirely ignoring Ruby. It took her a second to notice the tiny smile Adam sent her way. _Did he distract her on purpose so I wouldn't have to say anything? I guess he still wants to be free of this place._

That wouldn't change. Maybe Cinder was worried for her, but it wasn't just the three of them. This was every Wildmage ever. This was however many people there were in a generation born with this power. If she ignored it, they'd all be hunted down.

"Anyway," Ruby said, sliding in when Cinder paused to take a breath. "I got a strange letter from the Sanctum Guard at the front desk today." She handed it to Cinder, who laid it out on the table with a glare towards Adam. "Aside from the fact it came out of nowhere, what it says is pretty… uh… disturbing."

"They will make my son like me. It has already begun. Save him." Cinder frowned. "Is this it?"

"Try the other side too," Ruby prompted.

"Other side? What does- w-what is this!?" Cinder recoiled from the scrawled mess covering the back of the letter. The pleas, the attempts to remind himself and the questions that dotted the parchment.

"It's like the writings of a mad man," Adam commented.

"Or someone trying to remember who he is," Ruby said. "He's forgetful. Like, really forgetful. I was talking to him and he kept forgetting who I was, what we were talking about and even the fact he gave me the letter in the first place."

"The Sanctum Guards _are_ strange," Cinder said. "I always thought they didn't care to remember our names or rooms but looking back it _is_ rather strange how they never seem to remember things. Then again, I never cared enough to speak with them." Cinder looked up with narrowed eyes. "Who is this `son` he speaks of? He acts as though you know him."

"He's a friend."

Cinder didn't look pleased. "You're friends with a Huntsman!?"

"What? No!" Ruby laughed. "He's a Sanctum Guard and a Newblood for the guards outside-"

"Sanctum Guards _are_ Huntsmen, you idiot." Cinder sighed dramatically and slapped a hand to her forehead. When she saw Ruby's open mouth, she practically growled. "Did you never realise that? Who else would they trust to fight and keep dangerous Arcanists and Wildmages prisoner than those who cannot be affected by our magic? You must _think_, Ruby."

"I… I didn't know. No one ever told me!"

Jaune was a Huntsman? He couldn't be. But… The way he won that duel for her with Malneux – he'd definitely been hit by the spell from the Crimson Arcanist, but it did nothing. The blood drained from her face. The Arcanist had surrendered immediately after – he must have realised what Jaune was even if no one else there did.

How had she not noticed? Why hadn't he said anything?

"It should have been obvious!" Cinder spat. "Did you not even once try to use your power on him?"

"No. Why would I? He's a friend."

"A Wildmage calling a Huntsman friend," Cinder bemoaned. "What's next? An Arcanist of the White?"

Ruby knew better than to answer that.

"It will keep her cover," Adam pointed out. "No one would expect it."

"Only because it's so poor an idea! Ruby, they are _trained_ to notice Wildmages. That he hasn't already is proof of how well you're staying hidden, but it won't last. Secrets never do." Cinder took the letter and handed it back to her. "If this friend of yours is going to end up like his father, perhaps that is a good thing. He'll forget you and that will remove the chance of him exposing you."

"But he's my friend…"

"He's a Huntsman. His `friendship` with you will switch the second he realises what you are. Forget him. He'll soon forget you by the sounds of things." Ruby stared at the letter in her hand, crumpling it tight between her fingers. Cinder sighed and leant back. "Such a confusing mess this is, but at least this issue is dealt with."

Adam seemed to recognise it wasn't. He watched Ruby curiously but didn't rat her out. "How are Huntsmen made?" he asked instead. "If he studies here, he must be from a noble family."

"He is," Ruby said. "He's in line for the throne."

"As is almost everyone within the upper half of the families," Cinder said dismissively. "Even I was probably in line somewhere down the line. It only matters if you're in the top one hundred, and even then, only for boasting. Unless a crisis wipes out the Royal Family, it only matters for reputation. As for how they're made, I have no idea. I always assumed it was hereditary. Some are born with the spark to become Arcanists, and some with a kind of anti-spark." The Wildmage shrugged her shoulders. "The letter suggests otherwise. Perhaps I should have guessed. There are quite a few Huntsmen stationed here; it would be hard to stumble across so many."

"You believe they're manufactured, then?" Adam asked.

"The author of that letter certainly does. I know nothing of the issue and so my `belief` doesn't matter for much. That said," Cinder eyed Ruby sternly. "If they could manufacture just about anyone into a Huntsman, I fail to see why they'd use it on father and son."

Ruby made a confused sound. "What do you mean?"

"Noble families tend to have spares in case an heir dies but losing both the head of the family _and_ his heir to the illness that apparently plagues all Huntsmen would be a grave blow. Also, if he's far enough up the royal succession line for it to be a talking point, you'd want that person to be a public figure. If you were able to pick and choose your Huntsmen, why take them from Noble families at all? Use paupers, homeless or if you must use nobles, use the spares and the illegitimate children, not your primary heir and head of family."

It was a waste. More than that, it must have been a huge blow to the Arc family, since Jaune was the heir and that had to mean his father had been the head. Or was, but it didn't seem likely the broken man she'd spoken to could lead anything.

"It shouldn't matter," Cinder stressed. "This issue with the Huntsmen is no business of yours. Stay away from them. Being found investigating the Huntsmen will only put you firmly in the White Arcana's sight. If you're not already for continuously visiting us and being involved in bringing Adam back to Vale. You need to stay out of trouble, not blunder into more."

Cinder went silent and Adam did so as well, both of them staring behind her. Ruby turned, suddenly noticing two people marching through the library. Two people she didn't fail to recognise. Marrow looked positively sick, pale and shaky, while his White Arcanist companion Clover looked a little better, but still uncomfortable with where he was.

"Initiate Rose," Clover said. "I've been asked to take you to Arcanist Ironwood. Please come with us." He eyed the Wildmages. "I trust your _associates_ have no issue with this."

Cinder snorted. "I know not this whelp. Take her away."

Adam couldn't claim the same and so laughed instead. "An Arcanist apologising for brutality toward someone like me. It's a new experience and not a poor one. Worry not, Ruby. I don't blame you for the atrocities committed by the White."

"Atrocities?" Marrow stammered. "You claim tha-"

"Marrow." Clover held his companion's shoulder. "Let's not waste time discussing morality with criminals. Initiate Rose. If you will follow us?"

/-/

Of all the places they could have dragged her for an interrogation, Ruby was relieved it wasn't the White Arcana's Cathedral. That would have been far too frightening for one such as her. Instead, they took her to a small office not unlike the Grand Arcanist's but less opulent in every way. Less bookcases, less room, a less pleasing view out the tall windows. There was no desk in the centre, but a low wooden table polished to a dark shine, set around which were numerous plush seats formed of leather with stuffing and goose feather cushions.

Ruby took it all in, distracting herself from Arcanist Ironwood, Arcanist Goodwitch and the assorted members of the team of anti-Wildmage combatants that Atlas called the Specialists. She picked at the cushions with one finger. The way they'd all assembled opposite her was clearly to make her feel alone and vulnerable, but they'd forgotten one thing.

She was a Dredger.

"Do you know why you're here, Initiate?" Ironwood asked.

"No. I didn't do nothing."

Arcanist Goodwitch flinched at the rough words. "You were found within the Sanctum interacting with the captured Wildmage, Initiate. I think this would be a good time for you to cooperate with us lest you face any untoward accusations."

"Accusations of what?" she asked innocently. "Beating a man near to death?"

"Initiate! You will show us the respect we deserve."

Ruby remained silent. The implication was still there, and everyone heard it, but as long as she didn't say it out loud, no one could say she was being rude.

"You're remarkably calm," Ironwood said. "Strange all things considered."

"I am calm. I've done nothing wrong."

"You entered the Sanctum."

"Which isn't against the rules. The Grand Arcanist sent me there as detention and I was told it was perfectly okay to visit and help out there whenever I wanted." As he well knew seeing as he'd accused her the first time over it and been proven wrong. He frowned and she wondered if he'd try again.

Even if it was seven people against her, it really only felt like two. The Specialists were way too silent and stiff, like guards at attention while one of the sheriffs was barking out orders. They might have looked intimidating to some people, but she was used to that type of person. They wouldn't do anything without orders.

"Initiate Rose," Goodwitch said. "You were instructed by Lord Ironwood not to enter the Sanctum after he brought you from it the last time. I clearly remember explicit instructions saying you were not to enter again lest you imperil the other students. Are you saying you forgot these instructions? Or that you purposefully ignored them?"

Ruby smiled. "Neither."

Glynda did not smile. "Excuse me?"

"Lord Ironwood said I shouldn't enter the Sanctum because the anti-magic field there caused problems with the tracking bracelets he had everyone wear," Ruby said, oozing polite urchin charm – the kind used when apologising to a merchant you'd run into because you wanted them to think you were dumb while a friend picked their pockets. "I'd _never_ go against orders like that, Arcanist Goodwitch, but those orders aren't in force anymore."

The woman looked scandalised. "Since when?"

"Since Lord Merlot took my bracelet off." Ruby held up her hand with an impish grin. "He said the Grand Arcanist gave him permission and that everyone would be having theirs off tomorrow because there isn't a killer after all. It was Adam that knocked the wall down. So, if I don't have the bracelet, then there's nothing for the anti-magic field to interact with, and if there's no killer to be afraid of, there's no need for me to be tracked by the Specialists, and if there's no reason for me to be tracked then there's no reason I need to stay out of the Sanctum anymore."

Ruby beamed as she finished, showing a bright and toothy smile – the kind so fake it was bound to offend. And offend it did. Lady Goodwitch puffed up and looked about ready to combust into flame if not for Lord Ironwood placing a hand on her shoulder.

"Initiate," he said warningly. "You should show an Arcanist the proper respect, particularly one as prominent as Lady Glynda Goodwitch of the White. What actions she takes, she takes for the betterment of all Arcanists and all innocents within Vale."

"I know."

Ironwood frowned. "Then why are you so rude to her?"

Ruby met his gaze head on. "Because she wants me dead."

Ironwood froze. The Specialists did too – along with Lady Goodwitch for all of the two seconds it took her to recoil and shout out, "What nonsense is this? Why would I want to harm an Initiate? You can't possibly believe that!"

"I don't," Ironwood said quickly.

"Not you, James. Her! Miss – Initiate…" Goodwitch sounded genuinely offended, maybe even a little hurt. "When have I ever given you such a thought? The White _protects_ the Collegium. You are a part of that. If I have sounded harsh, it is not with personal harm in mind or out of a desire to."

Time to ham it up.

Ruby stuck out her bottom lip, squared her shoulders and looked away like a defiant child. "You said the people from Menagerie were right to be killed by the White Arcanist in their midst. Just because they let a Wildmage help them." Quietly, she murmured, "Just like I did."

"That… Those two things are not the same!" The woman made to stand but Ironwood waved her down. Instead, she leaned forward, almost pleading with her. "They released a dangerous criminal from their Sanctum who led the Grimm to Vale. That may not have been his intent, but it is what happened, and they should have known better. They _would_ have known the risks. You are an Initiate, and the Wildmage was already so close that it did not matter."

"Glynda speaks the truth." Ironwood said, trying for a soft voice that really didn't fit him. Or maybe it did. It was a gruff kind of fatherly tone that sounded all kinds of strange coming from him. "If anyone was to be recriminated for your actions it would be Lord Merlot, but he has made it clear he felt he had no option but to accept and we cannot fault that. There is a clear difference between an unknowing mistake on your part and intentional negligence on theirs. As Glynda says, you're not the same at all, and I doubt she was saying she _wished_ death upon them…"

"Not at all," she said. "I only meant to imply that the correct choice was made. Would there be a world in which they could have overpowered and slain him, then arrived to Vale unharmed and unharried by Grimm, I'd have called that a far greater victory. I apologise if my words seemed directed toward you, Initiate."

"One can see why she might think they were," Clover said faintly.

"Yes." Arcanist Goodwitch sighed and sat back, pinching the bridge of her nose between finger and thumb. "And suddenly your… behaviour around me makes more sense. Though it doesn't excuse you."

"No, but it explains things," Ironwood said. "Initiate. You have nothing to fear from us. The White stands to protect you and all here, and if we appear upset with you then it is only because we feel you are putting yourself in undue danger."

Undue danger? Like being a Wildmage surrounded by White Red Arcanists. They'd change their tune if they knew what she was, but that wasn't what she was meant to be here. Ruby looked down at her feet, kicked them helplessly under the table and mumbled something that might, if they listened carefully, have included an apology.

The kicked urchin routine didn't often work in the Slums – the weak were easy pickings, not sources of sympathy – but it sometimes did work in the farms and Merchant Quarter. Sometimes. Even if it didn't here, it'd sell the image of a frightened child and that was what she wanted.

"I'm sorry…"

"Ruby hasn't technically done anything wrong, has she?" Marrow's question earned him some quick glares from the other Specialists, though it was more for speaking up in her defence than anything. Ruby flashed him a happy smile and he rubbed his head, blushing.

"Thank you, Marrow," Ironwood said firmly. "However, this little misunderstanding aside, she still entered the Sanctum when I gave her explicit instructions not to. Though she may have thought those didn't apply now that the bracelets are off, I never said that."

"Then why would they?" Ruby asked quickly. "You said it was only because of the danger and the risk of you thinking I'd been kidnapped. That's not a thing now – the Grand Arcanist said so. So, what reason do you have to say I can't go in the Sanctum?"

Goodwitch and Ironwood remained silent. They had the authority to order it by far, but not a good and proper explanation to give her. They could say "because we say so" and that'd be it, but it would only apply going forward, and they knew she'd ask Merlot. He might then take that question to Ozpin, especially if she asked him to.

_Do it,_ she thought viciously. _Give me a reason. Give me one reason you can honestly expect me to believe. _That Adam was a danger wouldn't fit as he was helpless now. That they were afraid she would be hurt would only call the Sanctum and the Huntsmen into question, and that was all run by the White, so did they really want to say they couldn't even run the Sanctum properly? Not if they didn't want that knowledge spread across the Collegium.

"It seems we've had another miscommunication," Ironwood settled on. "I'm sure you can understand our concern given you delivered the Wildmage to us and he might have reason to want vengeance on you. Harmless as he may seem, he is still larger and stronger than you are, and the Sanctum Guards cannot be everywhere. Perhaps we could come to a compromise on this, if you're so determined to visit and work in the Sanctum."

"What kind of compromise?"

"We will allow you to continue working there so long as you alert us of your intentions beforehand and are accompanied by one of the Specialists." The news came with no amount of grimacing on the parts of said Arcanists. Marrow paled and even Clover cringed slightly. The only one to not give an obvious reaction was the one with the pale skin and shaved head.

Ruby tried to hide her disappointment. That would stop her being able to talk candidly to Adam and Cinder, though it wouldn't stop her being able to see them and maybe pass a message on if she had to. And there was no way to say no, was there?

"Okay. I guess that's fine."

"Wonderful. And now for what you shall do for us…"

Ruby balked. "What!?"

"It's a compromise, Initiate. Give and take. And you _have_ insulted Lady Goodwitch. Whether or not it was based on a misunderstanding, that deserves punishment. You also dragged Marrow and Clover into the Sanctum and went against the spirit of my instructions."

"You said it was a miscommunication!" she accused.

"And it was. I admit you have no malicious intent. However, you still broke the rules."

What bullshit was that? Ruby felt like kicking the table but that would have gone against the sweet and contrite image she was trying to sell.

"It's no great task, I assure you. You may even find it enlightening. The Sanctum is run by the White Arcana, as well you know, and if you truly wish to dedicate time to it, now or in the future, then perhaps it's best you considered your options."

"My options for what?"

Ironwood smiled. "Of joining the White, of course."

* * *

**I'd normally push on another 500 words or so, and easily could do, but I felt this was just a really nice place to end this chapter. Not so much a cliff-hanger as a tease.**

* * *

**Next Chapter: 8****th**** August**

**P a treon . com (slash) Coeur**


	52. Chapter 52

**Ignore the troll spamming guest reviews as usual**

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**Cover Art:** Z-ComiX

**Chapter 52**

* * *

It was fortunate that absolute shock was an appropriate response to Ironwood's offer or Ruby would have been in trouble. He didn't seem upset be her surprise and leaned back in his seat with a satisfied smile tugging at the edge of his chapped lips. His white ornate leather mantle trimmed with red creaked as he laid back, the straps crossing over the chest of his white robes pulling tight. He picked a crystal glass off the desk and brought it to his lips, sipping of the amber liquid within and watching her all the while.

His Specialists remained silent, as did Goodwitch, putting Ruby even further on the spot. Only Marrow looked even marginally supportive, and that was with a proud little smile that suggested she should not only accept the offer but see it as a great honour. How often did Arcanist Ironwood of Atlas and Lady Goodwitch herself come to personally invite an Initiate to the White? Who could refuse such an offer? The question was a genuine one. Who could refuse - because Ruby desperately wanted to emulate that person! They were waiting and expecting a response and she dithered one out.

"I don't know what to say…"

"That's understandable," Ironwood said with a gravelly yet warm laugh. "This isn't normally how we would do things, but your situation is unique. Somewhat."

"How so?" she asked, eager for time to think.

"You're not the first Arcanist to come from hard times, nor are you the only survivor of Menagerie. We have one or two in Atlas and I'm sure many more escaped in their own ways. What makes you unique is your focus on discovering the truth of what happened there. It was your reason for joining the Azure, was it not?"

"I…" No. "Yes. It was."

"There aren't many who would so soon after a disaster like Menagerie dive back into it," Goodwitch said. "Most would rather forget and move on with their lives. It takes a certain kind of person to so boldly face that which cost them everything."

"Fortitude, courage, discipline and strength." Ironwood said slowly. "All qualities we look for in the White."

"B-But I barely know any spells," Ruby lied. "I'm in my first year. I'm not that special."

Glynda waved a perfectly manicured hand in the air to silence her. Even after the nightmarish battle in the Archives of which she'd been on the front lines she was a clean and meticulous figure. Her white and golden robes were pristine, the golden necklace and chains that hung down and over her chest shimmering in the light. Ruby's fingers itched to hold them, possess them, and it was a challenge to pull her eyes away.

"No one begins their tenure here being any more or less special than anyone else," she said. It was a fine concept, but she knew Martyn and his cronies would disagree. "We can teach you spells. We can mould you into something incredible. We cannot, however, force a frightened child to become strong. There are qualities we cannot teach, and it is those we look for in an aspirant."

"I'm of the Azure."

"You wear the Azure mantle. That does not lock you into place."

"I passed their tests and entered the Archives," she argued. "I'm sworn to secrecy."

"The Azure Archives are a known quantity now. I imagine they'll need to change their initiation policy – or much of their organisational structure entirely."

"It might be the end of the Azure," Ironwood said faintly. "Or at the very least a decline. Much of their allure was in the Archives and with that no longer available to them…"

"It's only temporary," Ruby said weakly.

"Yes. Of course." Ironwood smiled quickly. "You're right. Forgive me."

It wasn't temporary. Ruby looked down at the table, wide eyes tracing patterns of grain across its varnished surface. Her fingers dug into her blue robes, bunching up the soft and thin material until it rode up her shins. Their recovery might have been swift, but they'd acted for a moment as though the Azure wouldn't be getting the Archives back, and they knew best. Bile rose up her throat, threatening to spill out.

"It's not without principle that people change Arcana, Initiate," Glynda said. "It's not even that rare an occurrence and we wouldn't be making some grand exception for you. The Crimson allows those who find combat troubling emotionally to leave. The Emerald would _rather_ a healer not dedicated to the cause have the freedom to leave – in their mind that is far better than forcing a reluctant or disinterested person to shoulder the weight of such a task. The Amber and the Black contain no grand secrets and freely allow their own to pick and choose, so long as they surrender any material taken from them. The White is more complicated," she admitted, "But we have our means if an Initiate is truly unhappy here."

"It's not so different to an Arcanist entering their second Arcana," Ironwood said. "Issues such as secrecy would have come up eventually when you chose your second gemstone. There's no reason that can't still be the Azure. White-Azure is just as common a combination as White-Crimson. Our tasks benefit just as much from a knowledgeable mind as they do a powerful combatant. In fact I'd say there's a surplus of the latter."

"Shouldn't I do Azure-White, then?" she asked. "Since I'm studying under Merlot."

"We would be content to allow you to continue that arrangement so long as you do so outside your time with us. The Arcana aren't segregated, and it has always been allowed for an Arcanist to take an apprentice from wherever he pleases. It just isn't common because certain Arcana, the Emerald for instance, are so specialised that you wouldn't take a student from outside. It's something that has been abused in the past as well – often with family members favouring their younger siblings with apprenticeships. Neither is the case here and Arcanist Merlot's research is of interest to the White. He is funded by the Grand Arcanist himself, but also by us."

He hadn't said that. Why hadn't he said that? Ruby nodded quickly, eyes on the wooden table and fingers playing with themselves. Merlot must not have thought it necessary for her to know but she was fast running out of believable and reasonable options to refuse them. Desperately, she played her final card.

"Why should I?" When Glynda's green eyes narrowed, she amended, "I mean, why should I want to? I joined the Azure for a reason. Why change?"

"You're asking what benefit there would be for you?" Ironwood chuckled again, setting the crystal glass down and tugging at his sleeve. His calm confidence frightened her, not because he made any threatening gesture but because he didn't seem to think for a second she could refuse. "That's simple. You joined the Azure to discover the truth about Menagerie. What if I told you the answers you seek aren't within the Azure, but that you would find them in the White?"

_Then I wouldn't care,_ Ruby thought angrily. Menagerie could burn – had burned. It was Blake's home and while she owed her a little, it wasn't enough to throw herself into the hornet's nest, and yet this _was_ the reason she'd given for joining the Azure. Ruby Rose, lost scion of the Rose family of Menagerie, was dedicated to learning the truth of what befell her city.

It was her cover. It was her reason for making the perilous journey to Vale. It was the only thing that could repeatedly get her out of trouble and those little mistakes she inevitably made. It even explained her quick rise within the Azure because grief and loss and determination to find the truth fuelled her on, or so they thought. Without it, she was just a suspiciously focused and strangely capable young woman.

Ruby said the only thing she could say. "I'd be interested…"

"Then your punishment," Ironwood said softly. "Is not so much a punishment at all. Attend Lady Goodwitch in the White Cathedral tomorrow and the day after. Experience what we have to offer and make your choice after. I trust you will make the correct one. The White has much to offer, far more than the Azure can."

More than they could now if the Archives were being taken away from them.

Ruby nodded weakly. She hoped they thought it nerves or shock over so generous an offer.

"Thank you, Lord Ironwood."

/-/

Ruby had never seen Merlot's home before. They'd always met in the Archives in his testing chamber, but with that closed thanks to the White, she'd been forced to find him at his residence within the Collegium. Many of the Arcanists who were free to come and go as they pleased continued to live within the Collegium, either used to its amenities, the convenience of being surrounded by likeminded Arcanists or just because after so long here, the city held no real appeal to them.

While the Initiates lived in dorms, the Arcanists had their own little section of the Collegium to themselves and dwelled in what appeared to be small cottages. Merlot's was typical from the outside but surprisingly spartan on the inside, little more than a corridor into two spacious rooms with a staircase leading up to where she assumed he slept. It was made of white brick that wasn't quite marble, with dark wood furniture and rich blue tapestries featuring silver thread depicting patterns and stylistic images of deer and birds.

Unsurprisingly, he had an office in his home as well as at the Archives, and it was just as busy and cluttered as it had been there. He had two desks and two chairs, with _both desks_ looking like they were overflowing with books and parchment. The stench of ink was thick on the air, as was the dust that swirled around her head in musty clouds. Ruby had the feeling Merlot only cleaned when he could physically no longer work in the space – and he probably paid someone else to clean it up, too.

_It's like he takes the same attitude with his hair as well,_ she thought. It was so wild and random that Yang would have had a fit. He waved her in and gestured for her to take a seat, which was literally impossible for the pots of ink balanced on the second. Ruby stood instead, regaling her tale while the man sat and played with his bushy white moustache.

"By the Azure, girl. You don't do things by half, do you?"

"Is it true then?" she asked. "Initiates can move between Arcana?"

"Course it is. You're children and prone to making rash decisions. Some go with what sounds exciting at the time while others feel obligated because of family or friends. No one wants a pacifist in the Crimson or an egotist in the Emerald. The White don't want those whose will falters, and we don't care for those without a sense of curiosity. Better to let them all leave than try and force them into compliance. It's more final once you take your gem – that's for life – but it's because of that finality that we let people skip around as they want."

"What about the big secrets?"

"What big secrets do you really think we'd teach someone before they prove themselves capable? The Archives is an exception to us - and we all know the knowledge isn't as hidden as we'd like. Every Azure who takes a second gem has split loyalties. It's something we're used to dealing with."

"Then it's allowed," she whined. "But the fayre made it sound like our choice was permanent."

"Course it did," he said with a scoff. "We don't want people changing their Arcana as often as they do their underclothes. We impress upon you the importance of making a serious choice so that you don't waste our time. The option to switch is there, but we'd be fools to advertise it."

Ruby sighed. "I was hoping it was so rare I could say I didn't want to be singled out as special."

"Hm. No luck there. This happens a few times every year, sometimes ten or more times across all the Arcana. To be poached by Lady Goodwitch and Lord Ironwood personally, now that's a different matter, though not one someone in your situation should be passing up on. For all that your noble heritage is intact-" He said it with sarcasm dripping from every word. "-your family is defunct and your fortune lost. You're cut adrift, no better than a commoner other than for your blood and breeding. A noble in your situation would be a fool not to grasp any opportunity offered to them. And believe me, they know that."

Like a Dredger jumping at the chance to apprentice under a craftsmen out in the farmlands, desperate enough to give up everything – even their own family – for the chance of a better life. Both her and Yang had stood out in the fayres hoping someone would take them. She could remember how they'd smoothed their hair out with spit, put on their best smiles and bulked their clothing to look strong and ready for hard work. So had everyone else, and girls weren't in high demand for hard labour. That hadn't stopped them coming back year after year.

"I doubt anyone would blame you leaving either," Merlot said. "The timing works out for you. After all that effort you put into the Rubricator, the Archives are lost to us. I dare say plenty of Azure will be changing colours in the coming weeks. You going to White won't surprise anyone; people will think you're trying to keep access to the Archives, and it's them who has it now."

"You think I was right then?" she asked. "They're going to seal off the Archives?"

Merlot scoffed and knocked a pot of ink off his desk. The shattering glass made her flinch but perfectly matched the wild look in his eyes. He took advantage of the space created to slam his fist down. His bushy eyebrows drew down and it was the first time she'd seen him bare his teeth. He looked like a wild animal, like a rabid snow hare.

"I think the White have been looking for a reason for decades! This isn't a crisis to them, it's a golden opportunity. I wouldn't be surprised if the news spreads and every Collegium has its Azure Arcana stepped down on. Look at it," he snapped, "An Arcana dedicated to rooting out secrets existing in the same space as one dedicated to suppressing them. Relations were never good between us and I dare say this'll make things worse."

"As for sealing it." He hummed, wiped a hand over his mouth and leaned down on one elbow. It was the most out of sorts she'd ever seen him, and she had the suspicion he'd been drinking or raging before her arrival. "They can't seal us out forever – that'd never stand. They claimed it was temporary and they won't want to be seen going back on their word. I expect they'll come to some unhappy compromise, though not after making us work for it. Easiest way to make someone accept a poor deal is to make them think they earned it themselves. Something where we can go in but only stay within a designated safe area, or where we need an escort to go further."

"And they'll sanitise the books within that area," Ruby complained.

"Of course they will. The Rubricator will make that nice and easy for them. Oh, they'll talk of expanding the area slowly as they deal with Grimm, but you and I both know that'll only be once they've made sure every tome within is to their standards. Disgusting," he spat. "A repository of untold and unknown knowledge and their first instinct is to bury it all. On what? The off chance it might be dangerous. Pah! Cowards, all of them. So afraid of the possibility of a darker future that they remove any hope of a bright one."

Ruby brushed her toes against the back of her other foot. She was used to dealing with angry people back in the slums, but only because she had the agency there to ignore, confront or even spit on them and run away. It was a whole new experience here, especially from someone normally so calm.

"What should I do?"

"Join the White." He waved his hand at her almost dismissively. "What else can you do? The Azure is a shell of its former self and we'll be fighting to scrape back even half of what we once had. It'd be more suspicious for you to not accept, and you'll never find anything on Wildmages with us now. The White are taking control. Either get on their side or get out the way." He looked up suddenly, eyes narrowed and lips drawn. "Though, why worry about being special? If they want you, make them work for it. Demand something. Haggle."

Ruby wasn't sure if he was suggesting that because he thought it was a good idea or because he wanted to upset the White. "Like what?" she asked. "Access to the Archives?"

"No, they'll never allow that for an Initiate, and you'd get it if you joined them anyway, assuming you rose far enough. It's the White Archives now, isn't it? No, you'll want to ask for something they might give. Not the Sanctum, that's out of bounds. How about outside?"

Ruby's body stiffened. "You mean outside the walls!?"

"They'll never let you go alone," he said, "But there have been exceptions when escorted. Deaths of family, important events, arranged marriages, someone dying to disease and wanting to be with family – Initiates are sealed to the Collegium as standard, but there are obvious exceptions. When those occur, you're sent with an Arcanist of standing to ensure you remain compliant. It's already known I want to go hunt some Grimm for research and you're my apprentice – something they're ostensibly willing to let continue. Make that contingent on your joining them. As long as you're careful, I don't much care if you sneak off to do your own business in the city."

"Will they accept?" Ruby asked excitedly, thinking of Yang and being able to meet her whenever she wanted – without the risk of being caught outside the walls and subjected to the Sanctum. "That seems like something they'd be even less likely to agree to than the Archives."

"You're not thinking as a White. They're afraid of people discovering knowledge, or Wildmages and powerful Rogue Arcanists. Of losing control. One Initiate outside the walls? Who would care? The worst that could happen is you go Rogue, and they have ways to deal with that. It's a loss if you die to a Grimm, but you're only a promising Initiate, not some crown princess of an allied Kingdom. If it keeps you from digging into the Archives or the Sanctum, I dare say they'd agree to anything."

"Do you know anything about the Huntsmen?" Ruby asked suddenly. It was a random question from his point of view, and she had a feeling she already knew the answer, and that she'd hate it.

"I know of them but little on how they operate. That is also something you would find more about within the White Arcana. I'm afraid the Azure has little to offer you anymore, little Wildmage. If you want answers, there's only one place you'll find them."

/-/

"I can't believe this is happening!"

Weiss could hardly contain her excitement, throwing aside her usual decorum to almost bounce on her heels as she walked alongside Ruby toward the White Cathedral. The towering building with its glistening spires and arched windows was by far the most beautiful building in the Collegium, even if the Grand Arcanist's tower eclipsed it in height. The marble walls and white-gold pennants that hung down the sides of the rounded towers fluttered in the breeze, rippling like water. Flowerbeds laid outside and around it were dotted with pink, red and white roses, and gardeners – normal employees of the Collegium with no magical ability – worked tirelessly to maintain them.

Ruby picked at the white sleeve of a borrowed robe delivered to their dorm. It didn't feel right, the colour too bright and obvious for her, and making her pale skin appear washed out. In terms of quality and weave it was no different than her Azure one at all, but it felt difference all the same. Itchy and unfamiliar. Initiates who had yet to pass the first trials were supposed to wear coloured mantles over grey robes, and the fact they'd sent her pure white sent all kinds of messages.

"You'll love it here," Weiss gushed, her earlier trepidation of Goodwitch's attitude towards Ruby apparently forgotten. There couldn't be any issue if Ruby was here, she must have thought. "Everything is so bright and clean, the lectures are interesting and no one cares about name, lineage or glory. Did I tell you about the girl I met here, Pyrrha? She's the youngest person to ever earn a gemstone and she doesn't care. No one treats her any different. Can you imagine if it were Martyn? He'd be lording it over people's heads until the day he died."

"He would," Ruby said quietly. Her attention was less on what Weiss said and more on the tall and imposing figure waiting atop the marble steps leading up to a giant pair of wooden double doors some ten feet tall with golden handles. Goodwitch looked like a religious leader welcoming acolytes, with everyone who passed by her bowing their heads respectfully.

"Lady Goodwitch," Weiss said, dipping into a graceful curtsey. Ruby didn't follow suit, and probably would have mucked it up if she tried. "I didn't expect you to meet us…"

"Extenuating circumstances, Initiate," she said warmly. "You may continue on to your lessons while I look to Miss Rose. Worry not, she's in no trouble. You have already seen and heard what I'd show her, and should she accept to join us then she will be attending lessons with you normally in the future."

"Oh. I see." Weiss spared her a quick look and then nodded. It was obvious she wanted to come offer some moral support, but she couldn't well deny an order from her superior. "Would you like me to collect Ruby for lunch or after my lessons?"

"If you wish it, child. I will endeavour to spare her time for food and socialising. Go now. I believe Initiate Nikos is already waiting inside and you shouldn't keep her long."

"Ah. Yes." Weiss curtsied again. "Thank you and good day, Lady Goodwitch. I'll see you later, Ruby."

Goodwitch waited for Weiss to enter and hurry up to a tall redhead and leave before she spoke again. "Loyal allies are treasures few find in a lifetime. You should consider yourself fortunate she cares as much as she does."

"Weiss is my friend," Ruby said simply.

"Friends come and go. Many don't survive joining different Arcana. As the years pass and duties and interests differ, people drift apart. Many find solace in others of their Arcana, spending time with them to forge new bonds. It's common for married Arcanists to share a gemstone."

Ruby frowned. "I'm not interested in that."

"No? Good. I find myself of the same mind. While I would not begrudge a partnership if it came along, I don't see the point in wasting time looking for one – not when there are far greater things in my mind. You are the same, I expect. Married to your own goal. We respect focus like that here. Come. Let me show you around."

The woman placed a hand on Ruby's shoulder, guiding her in through the towering doors. Beyond lay an entrance hall as ostentatious as the one in the Academy building itself, if not more so. Huge white pillars inlaid with gold and silver, a giant chandelier made of crystal and casting dazzling light out in every direction, long wooden benches like pews that people sat on to talk or mull over books, and two marble staircases reaching up either side to open doorways that led deeper into the Cathedral.

The name itself was a little out of place before while there was golden iconography among the walls and reaching up toward glass windows with other symbols and images artistically depicted on them, there was nothing that stood out as religious. It seemed more that the name had been used to evoke awe, to make it _sound_ important when it was for all intents and purposes just a castle.

_Just a castle,_ she thought sarcastically. _Just. The Azure never cared for appearances._

"The Cathedral can be labyrinthine to those unused to it," Goodwitch said, leading her down the centre of the pews and to a doorway at the back. It opened out into a circular room with four more corridors leading off from it, one right, one left and two ahead splitting off either way. What appeared to be white tiles radiating light were attached to the ceiling of each, undoubtedly items crafted from the Black Arcana to light the way. Ruby wondered for a moment why it wasn't used more commonly across the Collegium, then realised it was probably meant to impress her. "Until you better know the way, I would advise staying with me," she continued. "Your punishment isn't much of one as you know, but we must keep up appearances."

It was more a punishment than Goodwitch thought. Ruby bit down on the retort and nodded her head, silver eyes scanning each corridor and committing them to memory in case she had to leave in a hurry.

"What will we be doing?" Ruby asked. "Is this a tour?"

"No. You can have that if you choose to join us. This is more an… I suppose you could call it a temporary apprenticeship. Not to learn anything, but to experience the work the White does so you can better understand and appreciate why we act as we do." A low chuckle slipped from her. "I expect it's also to help mend the rift between you and I. James does like to meddle. That's Lord Ironwood to you," she said.

"I know. Um. Lady Goodwitch," she added quickly. "The rift-"

"Is a misunderstanding, I know." The woman opened a door and gestured her onward. The new corridor led to a staircase at the end guarded by two suits of armour. It took her a second to realise they were just that and not armoured guards. Glynda ascended slowly with Ruby behind. "Still, it isn't one without good reason on your part and I can understand why my actions might appear callous to you. You, Miss Rose, have had the misfortune to be involved in something truly harrowing, now just the fall of Menagerie but the attack on the Archives. Few would blame you holding some paranoia, and my actions can't have made it any better."

Paranoia? That suggested she was wrong to think that way, that she was jumping at shadows that didn't exist. This wasn't paranoia but justified caution. It was better to be thought of as a scarred child, though, so she swallowed her anger and bowed her head, hiding her clenched fists under too-long white sleeves.

"This is my office," she said at the top of the stairs. The door opened into a small and orderly room with several bookcases along the left and right walls, a large table in the centre and a set of three tall windows behind that looked out over the Collegium, and beyond that, the wilderness outside. The city couldn't be seen from her office, likely because the city didn't exist to her, or wasn't important.

As Glynda stepped into the room, she touched her finger to a pair of candlestands, causing the white stones on top – quartz, Ruby thought – to light up. Two more on either side of her desk received the same treatment. Unlike Merlot's quarters, there wasn't a quill out of line. There were three books on her desk, each orderly stacked upon the other. The two chairs before it were positioned perfectly straight and the room had a symmetry so conceptually ideal that Ruby felt awkward not walking down the exact central line of it.

"I've had a small desk made up for you," she said, indicating the one anomaly to the rule. A wooden table some six feet by three with a chair behind it. It was set to the side of hers, which meant Ruby would be facing Glynda's left as she sat at it. "You may feel free to personalise it as you wish, though given you'll only be here for a few days, I expect you won't feel the need."

Ruby drew out the chair and sat, feeling the red leather cushion flex under her weight. There was nothing on the desk to suggest work, no papers or books to read. There was a single pot of black ink with a quill laid out beside it, the pot stoppered by a small amount of white cloth.

"What will I be doing?" she asked for what felt like the third time.

"You shall be paying attention to the work I do and learning from it. If there is something I believe you capable of achieving on your own I shall let you know, though I will naturally be going through it afterwards. That is no slight on you; the work I do is of a magnitude of importance above what many Arcanists would be allowed to handle, let alone an Initiate."

"Should I be here at all then?"

"Worry not. I've made it clear you're not to be presented with anything you shouldn't be allowed to see. There won't be any undue promises forced on you from this. Nothing you don't already know. Instead, it's more to show you the wider range surrounding those things, so you better understand why the White does what it does." Glynda paused to open a drawer on her desk and retrieve an ornate wooden box, which she opened to reveal a stack of opened letters. "Here. These are communiques from some of the noble houses impacted by the recent disaster that befell the wall. You were there with the other Initiates when the River Vale diverted, so you no doubt saw it flood out into the Upper District."

Ruby had to hide her satisfied smile. "I did. Is it a big deal, though? The city floods every year."

"The damage done to the lower districts is relatively easy to contain, however, and inexpensive in the grand scheme of things."

"Not to those that die, it isn't!" Ruby swore silently and wished she could take it back. The words had burst out the very second Glynda finished speaking. The older woman appeared surprised, though she sighed and shook her head, correcting herself.

"I'm sorry. That must have sounded callous of me again. I sometimes forget myself. I didn't mean inexpensive in terms of the impact of lives – it's quite the opposite as you well say. I mean in terms of renumeration and the financial cost of repairing the districts. Since the damage was caused by magic, the fault is essentially ours."

Or hers, though she wasn't going to admit that. "Why, though?" she asked instead. "If it was caused by Adam then it's not the Collegium's fault."

"The balance between those with magic and those without is tenuous," Glynda explained, setting the letters down before Ruby. They were each sealed with the crest of a noble family, though the seals were by now broken. "In order to maintain that and not cause those without to feel threatened by us, we must allow them some measure of control over us – no matter how tenuous that might seem. That is why laws exist and why we follow them, even when some may seem unfair to us. One such is that we are responsible for any and all mishaps of an arcane nature. This counts."

"Hardly seems fair."

"It's not but imagine for a second if Arcanists tossed their heads and refused to assist. Imagine if we exercised the true power we had and refused to be held accountable for what, whether it's our fault or not, originated within our walls. We would be seen as tyrants lording it over the common folk, with some of them not so common at all. The nobles would be furious, our intake of students would decrease, some would seek to send theirs to other Collegiums – which is acceptable – but some might try to keep their talent secret or foster it outside the walls, where the consequences could well be catastrophic."

"Imagine it a hundred years from now where nobles, guards and even criminals display amateur and unpredictable control over magic and wield it against the common folk. Assassinations, muggings, mercantile deals and more, all committed by magic and causing the people, quite understandably, to feel anger toward those who have it. It would fester, and in time might bring about the worst, riots and hunts in the streets for those with talent, and who could expect Arcanists not to try and defend themselves against such? It would be bloodshed, Initiate. It would be a massacre. That is why we bow our heads here," she said, tapping the letters. "It is why we swallow the bitter medicine at this point, to prevent a worse illness later."

"Right." Ruby grimaced but picked up the letters. "What am I doing, then?"

"You will sort these into two piles. One wherein you believe the complaints truly warrant compensation from the Collegium, and those you believe to be exaggerating their issues to cheat us. Worry not, I've already gone through them myself, but it helps to garner a second opinion. In doing so you might also learn just how widespread the damage caused by a Wildmage can be – even if it was an accident and the Wildmage involved had no idea of what he wrought."

Ruby flinched but she had to mean Adam. If Goodwitch really did know, she wouldn't have gotten this far. _She said `he`. I'm still safe._ Keeping her eyes down, she picked up the first of the letters and unfolded it, drawing out the parchment within and laying it out flat. Glynda moved to her own work, pulling out a quill and dipping it against the page of an open book.

They worked in silence.

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**Like most writers I'm constantly trying to find little ways to improve and one that I'm trying to implement in this chapter, and that you may have noticed, is more creative description in terms of people's clothes, faces and also Ruby's surroundings. There's a tendency in fanfiction to gloss over descriptions since the content is based on a show or other book which already did it, and most readers know what people look like. In an original AU like this however, that doesn't hold true and everything has changed, so I'm trying to get back into the habit of properly describing stuff. Not over the top detail – find that annoying in some books like Game of Thrones where the food at a feast is described in far too much detail – but enough to evoke a bit more imagery.**

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**Next Chapter: 16****th**** August**

**P a treon . com (slash) Coeur **


	53. Chapter 53

**Ignore the troll spamming guest reviews as usual**

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**Cover Art:** Z-ComiX

**Chapter 53**

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The White Arcana had its own dining area which was comparable in size to the food hall at the academy, but far more opulent. White marble stretched across the floor and up to gilded walls with tall stained-glass windows, white and gold pillars jutted up to support a tall and arched ceiling painted with stunning vistas of distant lands, oceans and mountainsides. The large hall was unnaturally warm, somehow heated by the single roaring heart at the back, around which sat several older Arcanists in lounging chairs wistfully talking about the days long gone.

Unlike the food hall, they ordered their food and waited for it to arrive – which suited Weiss fine but left Ruby glowering down at the small portion of meat, potato and gravy she'd been afforded. It was a square cut of meat half the size of her hand artfully balanced on four roasted potatoes with a sprig of some leafy plant resting across the top. It smelled delicious and tasted just as good, but she could have eaten six of them.

"So," Weiss said impatiently, "How was your morning?"

"Fine. Can I order another? Is that allowed?"

"Did you not have time to eat breakfast?" Pyrrha Nikos asked.

"No, she did. Ruby is like this." Weiss raised her hand to summon one of the workers over and said, "Can we have two fillet steak with vegetables and one grilled salmon, please? And another round of drink. Thank you."

The man was dressed in black and white formal clothes that would have looked out of place in the Slums _or_ the Merchant's Quarter. He was at least three times their age and yet he bowed like he'd just spoken to the King and Queen himself, backing away until he could turn his back without offending them.

"I'm not hungry," Pyrrha said.

"The portions aren't for us."

The redhead seemed to realise what she meant and shot Ruby an incredulous look. It was the same girl Weiss had left for lessons with earlier, someone who looked to be around their age but wore a single crimson gem in the Arcanum clipped between her robe and her cloak like a silver broach. She looked athletic in a way most Arcanists weren't, quick on her feet with powerful muscles that reminded her of Yang. It was a strict contrast with Weiss, so small and thin and polite. Pyrrha looked like a town guard next to a noble.

"Ruby travelled a lot before arriving in Vale and food wasn't always available. Since coming here, she's been making up for lost time – and body mass. She was practically emaciated at first."

"I see." Pyrrha's green eyes slid to Ruby's Arcanum. "You're from Menagerie, aren't you? How was it there? I've heard stories but never had the chance to see it in person."

Neither had she. "Different. Vale has all these different layers for the city. Menagerie is mostly flat, or was, and the aren't any floods like there are here."

"Amazing. It must be a nightmare keeping the thieves out of the Noble Quarter, though."

"What do you mean?"

"Well, there's no walls and tiers to keep the thieves in the Lower Quarter," Pyrrha said. "I was just thinking that if people could walk from the Lower to the Upper without being challenged, wouldn't you be overrun by thieves and killers?"

"Are you saying _every_ thief is from the slums?" Ruby asked quietly.

Pyrrha blinked, surprised by the tone, but answered quickly enough. "Yes. Isn't that obvious? The Merchants don't need to steal because they're merchants, and the Guards wouldn't be caught doing it. The people living in the better areas don't need to resort to crime. My father says the rate of robbery in Vale is far lower than the other Kingdoms because the tiers keep the never-do-wells out."

Defending people she was supposed to have nothing to do with didn't sound like a good idea, but she _couldn't_ let that pass without saying something. "It sounds like you want to blame them for everything."

"What? No, that's not true. I simply mean they're put in a situation where thievery is more common. I didn't mean to imply they're all immoral-"

"Then who is? Them or the people who put them in that situation?"

"Well, I… It's their choice to live-"

"Ah. Here's the food." Weiss interrupted with clear relief, sparing the server a quick and polite smile before pushing the three dishes toward Ruby. "Let's not talk about something so raw at lunch time. Vale is already a culture shock to Ruby and the tragedy of the floods didn't help. Menagerie doesn't have those, and maybe we've all grown too used to the idea of so many people dying when we shouldn't. Ruby is right to be appalled."

Mollified somewhat by Weiss' defence, Ruby let the matter go and turned back to her food, upending the two steaks into one dish to form the size of an _actual_ steak as could be found in the academy's food hall. She poured the gravy over the top and dug in hungrily, cutting off large chunks that melted in her mouth with a buttery tang. Lightly seasoned and spiced, the meat's juices danced on her tongue. _The White Arcana even has the best food. How unfair is this?_

"What did Lady Goodwitch have you do today?" Weiss asked while Ruby was eating. "Surely you can give me something more than just `fine`. Was it interesting? Did you learn any magic?"

"I was reading letters."

"Letters?"

"Claims from the nobles," she said, pausing to drink the crisp grape and apple juice, then cut into the fish with the edge of her fork. Its skin and flesh gave way under the metal, flaking off into delicious chunks that tasted of salt and lemon. "They were making claims on the Collegium for the flood that happened when the wall went down. Whinging about damage."

"Claims?" Pyrrha asked. "There must have been quite a bit of damage. The houses on the Upper District aren't designed to deal with floods. I hope it wasn't too bad for people."

"Wet carpets, rotted wood and ruined artwork for the most part. The closest to anyone dying was an idiot trying to save a family painting by taking it upstairs. He slipped in the water and sprained his wrist. Lost the painting, too." Ruby giggled. "Idiot."

"Is that really a laughing matter? How would you feel if you lost a piece of your family's history?"

Ruby glared back at the girl. "How would you feel if you lost your whole family?"

Pyrrha's hands flew to her mouth. "I'm sorry!" she gasped. "I didn't think-" The raw pity coming off her face was easily ignored since she had no use for it. Weiss' was worse because she knew she was misleading her. They both thought she was talking about the family she'd lost in Menagerie, where she'd meant all those people down below who would have lost mothers, fathers, siblings or even children in this year's early flood.

If Goodwitch thought reading through those letters would make her more sympathetic to the Nobles, she was wrong. The claims were so stupid and insignificant that it only made her angrier to think someone with the power to change things was forced to waste their time with them. Broken chairs? Damaged floors? Lost paintings? What did any of that matter compared to the people who died not only in the floods but after, when disease and starvation struck the slums? It was infuriating.

"Boring work, then?" Weiss said. "Pyrrha and I had a lecture on crowd control that was quite interesting. Not magical, but how to control a crowd with words to make them do what you want. We had to do presentations where we'd pretend to talk down an angry mob trying to lynch an Arcanist – and then another where we had to try and calm a panicking group of people. It was much more difficult than I thought it would be. I'm convinced the teachers made it harder on purpose. Some of the things they asked while pretending to be village folk were downright asinine."

"I hear people outside the walls can be quite rural." Pyrrha smiled faintly as she said it, content to move the conversation swiftly away from floods and death. "Since all Arcanists go to the Collegiums in the cities, the villages outside often don't interact with magic and still hold to some strange folklore and customs. At least that's what I've heard."

"Still, asking me why they can't drive off the Grimm spirits by burning an Arcanist alive. What was I meant to say to that? Stop acting like idiots? I doubt anyone could be so stupid, no matter how backwater their upbringing."

"You've travelled a lot haven't you, Ruby?" Pyrrha looked her way, all smiles once more. "You must have passed through some villages just like that. How did they treat you?"

"I didn't tell them I was an Arcanist."

"Oh. Oh, that makes sense I suppose. No reason to advertise it and a young noble travelling alone would have made a tempting target for the less scrupulous."

Ruby nodded distractedly back, cleaning her plate clean of gravy by spooning it up with her knife and licking it clean. In reality she'd never been outside the city other than to visit the farmlands, and you couldn't really call those rural. The people were a lot more rustic, but they were still city-folk. As far as she could remember, she'd been born in the slums and had grown up there as well.

_I wonder if we could have made a life for ourselves in some small village somewhere._

It wasn't like she and Yang had any skills to ply, and it would be a rare community that accepted two more mouths to feed without expecting anything in return. On the farms outside the walls even the wives and children were expected to work. It couldn't be that much different in villages.

"Lady Goodwitch is at the door," Pyrrha said suddenly. "I think she's looking for you, Ruby."

Grimacing, she looked over in time to see the tall woman in her long, flowing white and gold robes, blonde hair done up in a bob and hands resting atop one another before her stomach. As ever, she had an ageless and powerful air to her, and everyone who walked by paused to show her the respect she so apparently deserved. Green eyes pierced through the hall to bore into hers.

"Looks like lunch is over." Ruby put the empty plates down and stood. "I'll see you later, Weiss."

"Yes. Try and enjoy yourself for the day. I know this is sudden, but it would be simple wonderful to have you in the White."

"Depends if Goodwitch lets me…"

"That's _Lady_ or _Arcanist_ Goodwitch!" Pyrrha called after her.

_Lady_ Goodwitch waited patiently for her to make her way across the hall, tilting her head once when she came close. "I trust you enjoyed your meal. I've heard you have quite the appetite, even in the academy."

"Is it normal to know the eating habits of random students?"

"No, but it's normal for someone who has been forced to trek across the world to reach us to be monitored. Or did you think no one noticed how thin you were when you came here? Arcanist Watts himself made note of it in the Scriptorium and the academy was instructed to feed you as much as you wished. It's evidently done you well."

A life on the streets hadn't left much for proper eating, and even Yang had said she looked bigger all over. Chunkier, Ruby felt, though everyone else said she looked fuller and like the woman she was meant to be. Come to think of it, it'd been a while since someone mistook her for a boy. The flabby chesticles she'd grown probably helped there.

"The food is good," she said simply.

"It is." Glynda turned and walked slowly away, trusting her to follow. There wasn't much else Ruby could do. "We will be leaving the White Cathedral for this afternoon. Not all our work takes place within it, but before work we shall make a detour and visit the Emerald Arcana."

/-/

The Emerald Arcana was possibly the most welcoming of the Arcana she'd visited. While the others had walls or barriers to entry in one form or another, the Emerald Gardens were as their namesake suggested, a beautiful and open set of brightly coloured gardens with a pretty white building in the centre criss-crossed with black wooden beams and a red roof. The front doors were wide and open, welcoming people inside into a pristine tiled room with numerous comfortable looking chairs, open fires and bookshelves.

To the sides and around the back of the building from whence they'd come, small plots of land were set behind chest-high hedges, many with herbs and tall plants growing that Emerald Arcanists tended to with incredible focus, gently touching and inspecting leaves, trimming bulbs and in rare cases snapping off flowers and placing them into small brown pouches. The few that made eye contact with them smiled so kindly that Ruby would have felt awkward not to smile or wave back, and one even paused to chatter with Lady Goodwitch, asking how she was and if she needed help.

"The Emerald are famed for their compassion," Glynda said once they moved on and toward the flagstone-laid path that lead up to the front entrance. "Their work is in the healing of all things and they appeal to likeminded individuals. While they can be quite fierce and protective at times, treat them well and they shall return the favour."

They walked up the stone steps to the open entrance and through. Ruby blinked against the bright light and overly sweet smell of what she thought might be lavender. The chamber inside practically stank of the stuff, though the three burning incense holders hanging from the ceilings might have explained it. Pots of plants lined the walls, some on shelves, and two Emerald Arcanists were fussing over a Crimson Arcanist favouring one leg. They pushed him down into a seat, knelt and rolled his robes up, speaking calmly to one another as they inspected a nasty wound bleeding onto the floor.

"If ever you are in need of healing you can come here," Glynda whispered. "The Emerald Gardens are open at any time of any day, staffed on a rotation. Do not fear for wasting their time, especially not if you are bleeding."

"Okay. Why are we here today?" she asked. "Are we getting healers for the nobles injured in the floods?"

"That was done already. It was one of the first things we offered." Of course it was – and not a single Emerald Arcanist had offered to treat the disease rife in the slums. Glynda waited for an Emerald Arcanist to come to them.

"Ah. Glynda." The Arcanist had pointed fox ears and a long, bushy tail but that wasn't what caught Ruby's attention. It was that she was one of the few people to refer to Lady Goodwitch by her name. The only others who did were the Grand Arcanist and Lord Ironwood. "How are you? Not injured, I trust."

"I'm hale and hearty, Tsune. You know me."

"Hmmm. It's knowing you that makes me worry." The woman's brown eyes flicked down to Ruby. "And who is this?"

"Initiate Ruby Rose." Glynda's hand fastened onto her shoulder. "The one I made an appointment for."

Panic shot through her. "What!?"

"This detour is for your sake, Initiate. I'm not sure why you hadn't thought to see an Emerald Arcanist after your journey from Menagerie to Vale, and even less certain as to why Merlot didn't think to order it. If he won't, I shall."

"B…But I'm fine!" Ruby tried to pull away, but the woman's grip was like iron. "I'm not even that thin anymore."

"Oh, if only body weight was the sole indicator of health." The faunus chuckled and placed a hand on the small of her back, leading her with Goodwitch's aid down a clean corridor. "Glynda is right. After so long a journey there was bound to be a few nasty bugs picked up. You really should have sought aid. Then again, I've never known someone your age willing to do so. Always so sure of your own immortality that if your arm isn't dropping off you think you're fine. Don't worry. A check-up won't take long."

"This really is something Lord Merlot should have insisted on first," Goodwitch said. "I can only assume he believed you would have handled it yourself already. A quick question to the Emerald proved otherwise. Don't fight it now, it's for your own good."

For her own good? As if she hadn't heard that one before. Ruby dug her feet in for all the use it was against two much taller women dragging her along. The tiles didn't offer much purchase, either. All too soon they stopped in front of a wooden door painted green, which Arcanist Tsune pushed open and drew her into. It was a small room some five metres by five metres with a single bed along one wall like a prison cell. The desk and multiple chairs broke that image somewhat, as did the open window and fluttering curtains, brightly coloured plants and the drinks cabinet in the corner.

"Take a seat on the bed," she instructed. "I'll just be running some quick spells over you. Really, there's no reason to worry – you won't feel much other than a tingle. Glynda, do you want to wait outside?"

"I'd rather stay. Initiate Rose is under my direct care for the next few days."

The Emerald Arcanist nodded and waved the taller woman into one of the seats by the wall, rolled up the sleeves of her green robes and then dunked her hands into a basin of water, washing them for a good half a minute. She towelled them off after, careful to dry them thoroughly before approaching Ruby.

Her experience with healers in the past was spotty at best. Drug makers and alchemists, frauds and herbalists – their produce was as like to have you shitting out your insides as it was feeling better, and more often than not they'd say that getting the bad out your system was the way to go. That was just the ones who focused on medicine, too. There were those who suggested bloodletting and trepanning. Ruby had only ever tangled with the former and the experience hadn't been a positive one.

"No reason to be nervous," the faunus said. "I'm going to cast a spell on you now. It will draw out the smallest amount of blood from your arm – directly through your skin. It won't hurt, but if you like I can make it so you can't feel anything in your arm. Would you like that?"

"Is… Is it a spell?"

"It is. Would you like to see it?"

Honestly, she didn't want anything to do with it, but she nodded anyway. The woman took her left arm and rolled Ruby's sleeve back as well, then rubbed her index and middle finger over the muscle between her wrist and elbow. She sensed the magic before she felt it – though _feeling_ was a poor choice of word because as soon as she felt it tickle over her skin, she lost it. It was only due to being able to sense it that she knew it was still taking place, seeping into her arm.

"This spell prevents the arm registering the pain it feels to your mind," she explained in a soft and gentle voice. "There's an easy way to test it." She picked up a butter knife. "Don't worry, I'm not so cruel as to try and cut someone with this. Here. Can you feel the cold?" She laid the flat of it against Ruby's skin.

"I don't feel it."

"And now?" she asked, laying it against Ruby's other arm. The metal was slightly cold against her skin, and she felt it push down a little. Ruby nodded. "Your left arm can't feel the change in temperature or even the pressure. I could cut into your arm and it wouldn't hurt, but that wouldn't change the fact you're injured. We use this to dull the pain in cases where we must operate." She smiled briefly. "Or to help calm frightened Initiates. I'm going to draw some blood now. You won't be able to feel anything."

It was true. Ruby sensed the second spell but couldn't feel it. What she could see was a red mist coming out her arm and floating over her arm, a small amount at first but growing. Tsune cut it off soon after, taking a small piece of glass and almost wafting it through the red smoke. Where it touched, it clung to the glass, smearing across it as blood.

"There," she said happily. "That wasn't so hard, was it?"

"No." Ruby took her arm back and rubbed it. "Will my feeling come back?"

"Once I end the spell. I haven't yet." Tsune placed the blood down on the table and took Ruby's arm again, holding it by the elbow and the shoulder. "I noticed a little stiffness when I held this. Tell me, did you have a fall at some point? A poor landing on this arm?"

"O-Once, yeah. I fell off a hill." The hill was actually the back of a wagon she'd been riding on and rummaging around in before the driver heard her. She'd dodged the whip that nearly took out an eye but rolled off the back and stuck her hand out to soften her fall. It had hurt for a bit, but she'd gotten away clean.

"I thought so. Try and rotate your arm backward. Like this." The woman brought her left arm up toward the ceiling and back, rotating it in a slow circle behind her and then under and back again. Ruby tried as best she could to follow it, but her arm couldn't quite keep as vertical, coming out at the top at a forty-five-degree angle before sweeping back and under. "Hm. I see. It looks like your shoulder took a knock and healed poorly. I'll take care of that. Just let me extend the numbing spell to your shoulder and neck – I'm told this can feel quite strange but don't worry. You may feel your head getting heavier on one side. It's not, but it may feel it as you lose sensation in your neck muscles on the left side."

The sensation was just as strange as she described. It was like half her body going to sleep and there was a brief lurch like she was falling, followed by the instinct to snap her hand out to catch onto something. She wasn't, though. Ruby sat still, fighting the urge to compensate for what _felt_ like a crooked neck by cracking her neck.

"Close your eyes for a moment. I just need to deal with this." Tsune took her arm and shoulder in both hands. "Count to three, now. One-" The woman pulled far before three. Ruby felt the tug, felt the stretch and then heard the loud _crack_ running through her. Silver eyes snapped open and she tried to yank away. "It's okay, it's okay. Calm down. Do you feel any pain? No. Ignore those instincts telling you to pull back, dear. This will be healed soon."

"Y… You broke my shoulder…"

"Your shoulder and your elbow," the Arcanist said proudly. "Now, watch this."

The woman pulled Ruby's arm out straight and whispered something under her breath. Green mist pooled out from her fingers, wreathing and wrapping around her arm like smoke. It seeped up and into her skin, and though she couldn't feel the pain or what was going on, she could hear the clicking and grinding of bone as her arm realigned.

"We can heal broken bones and mould them as new, but we can't take what is healed badly and tell it to change. We have to break them again first so that they are malleable. Yours had healed poorly. Now, it should be as good as new." The woman released her arm. "Try it. Move your arm in circles again. I'll cut off the numbing spell now. Do tell me if it hurts."

It didn't. Her arm felt… weird. Clean. Strong. Ruby pulled her arm up and was amazed at how easily it completed the full circle, staying straighter than even the Arcanist's arm had. Her shoulder rolled back without so much as a click, arm gliding back so easily she couldn't understand how she hadn't realised something was wrong.

"It feels good," she whispered. "It feels… I feel amazing…"

"Hm. We never know how bad something is until we feel it healed. Believe me, it's a common problem. Now, let me just run a few tests on your blood and I'll see what else can be done for you. Just sit there for a moment and I'll be right back."

/-/

The tests were as magical as the healing and involved Tsune casting numerous spells on the blood and noting what reactions came from it. She would him and write something down on a piece of parchment every few seconds, then turn back and begin casting again. Some of those hums sounded more worrying to Ruby, kicking her legs impatiently on the bed. Some of them sounded downright alarming.

"Well, you're certainly ah… not the healthiest of individuals."

"Is she in danger?" Lady Goodwitch asked quickly.

"Not as such and nothing that can't be treated. I'm seeing the signs of malnutrition and poor dietary choices, but I expect that's due to her long time away from home. What was your diet like before the Collegium, Initiate? How varied would you say it was?"

Not very. "Um. Bread for the most part. Some tough vegetables if I could stea-" Her lips slammed shut.

"We do what we must to survive," the healer said kindly. "I take it you took from farms in villages you passed by?" It was good an excuse as any and Ruby nodded. "How about meat? Fish? Did you have any access to that?"

"I caught rats occasionally."

Lady Goodwitch and Tsune looked horrified. What did they want from her? You couldn't just go buy prime sausages in the slums and the farms outside had dogs that would as soon rip you to pieces as look at you. Stray animals were food in the slums. That was just how it was. And it wasn't like she made a diet of rat, just the very rare and very desperate times when it had been a choice between her and Yang starving or not.

"Numerous deficiencies," Tsune said. "Protein especially, but also iron. I'm going to be recommending a meat-heavy diet and a supplement from our stocks. You also have intestinal worms, dear."

Ruby's stomach clenched up. "W-Worms…?"

"They're not dangerous but they're eating much of the food you do. You probably caught them by drinking unclean water, either from a river or a puddle." The river was the main source of water in the slums. The river the Collegium and all the upper districts tossed their waste into. "I'm going to have to prescribe some medicine to kill those off, but you'll start to feel and look a lot better once it's dealt with."

"Do I have to…?"

"Miss Rose," Lady Goodwitch said sternly. "You will take your health seriously."

"I don't like drugs," Ruby whispered. "I don't like losing my mind."

"Oh dear…" The Emerald Arcanist looked physically pained. "The medicine we offer would _never_ do anything like that. You must have experienced some trying times out there." The faunus wrote something down on a piece of paper and handed it to Lady Goodwitch. "This will be medicine you need to drink in the morning and before bed. It won't taste nice, I'm afraid, but the taste is the only consequence you need worry about. We are careful not to include anything harmful in our tinctures. No opium like what you must have had."

"I will explain the situation to her roommate. Initiate Schnee will make sure she takes it if it means improving her health. Thank you, Tsune. I appreciate you taking the time to see her today. I know the appointment was sudden…"

"Think nothing of it. If anything, we should have hunted her down sooner. It's been a busy few weeks, though. What with the Azure Archives and all those injured, and the flood of the Upper District before that. We've only just finished patching up the wounded among the Crimson."

Glynda collected her medicine on the way out and then led her onto the grassy fields between the Emerald Gardens and the academy building in silence, carrying the clear glass jar of a milky-white substance wrapped in parchment and with instructions written in ink on the side. They were headed away from the Emerald Gardens, but also away from the White Cathedral.

"Why are you doing all this?" Ruby asked.

"Our detour to the Emerald was solely to take care of you. You are my responsibility."

"It wasn't just that, was it…? You could have sent me alone or with Weiss or another White Arcanist. You're the leader of the Arcana. You wouldn't go out for just anyone."

Glynda smiled as she hummed, apparently pleased with her paranoia. "You've a good mind. Of course, we knew that already. Designing the Rubricator took clever thinking. Even if you outsourced most of the work to the Black Arcana, you solved a problem many Azure had given up on. They could and should have solved that issue themselves, but their problem is that, like most people, they allow themselves to be distracted by their difficulties and fail to seek the solution. They spend so much time complaining about what is wrong when they could be making it right."

"You mean their research…?"

"Indeed. It's only natural the Azure be dedicated to their chosen field, that is part of what makes them what they are. It serves no one to be so focused on one subject you lose sight of the grander picture, however. That is where the White excel, and why I believe you would do better within the White then you ever could in the Azure."

"You didn't answer my question."

"I did not." Glynda chuckled. "The goal of today is to show you the work we do with each of the Arcana. The White bridges the gap between Arcana, acting as mediators and intermediaries. We are diplomats and our task is to keep the Collegium running. Therefore, if there are problems in any given Arcana – such as the incursion in the Azure – it is the White who are first to act. Today, you have met the White and the Emerald, and now we go to visit the Crimson."

"So what, I'm getting the full tour?"

"Nothing so wasteful. The Emerald was to make you healthy and the Crimson is to secure us some assistance. As you said, I am an important individual within the White, so my time is valuable. An issue of no small importance has come up. We are moving to deal with it."

An issue she needed to be healthy for, and that they'd need to visit the Crimson Arcana for help with. It wasn't hard to put two and two together. "Has something bad happened?"

"You might say that. One of our own has gone Rogue and fled into the Upper District. Not an Initiate or someone who does not know how to use their power, but a fully fledged single-gem Arcanist who could cause great harm if left unchecked." Her eyes hardened, lips drawing into a thin line. "It is the White's responsibility to maintain the balance within the city, and that means it is our duty to hunt down those who would betray the Collegium, even if the traitor is not one of ours."

"I-I'll be going outside…?" Ruby asked excitedly. With Goodwitch, there'd be no chance to slip away. It'd be far too dangerous. Still, if she proved she could be trusted outside the walls then Lady Goodwitch would be more likely to let her and Merlot go out alone – and _then_ she could sneak off to see Yang and Blake.

"You, Initiate Schnee and Pyrrha Nikos as well. The first-hand experience of a hunt will serve you all well. You will be staying well out of trouble, however. Our quarry knows we will be coming for him and he knows what will await if he surrenders. This is no frightened Initiate, child. It is a dangerous man willing to do whatever it takes to escape. No one in the city is safe so long as he is loose."

"Is it someone I know?"

"I am told you would know him as the Librarian from the Azure Archives." Ruby's eyes widened at the thought of the old man doing that, but Glynda continued before she could speak. "Evidently, he has not taken well to our closure of it and has fled with numerous texts under his control. We know not what those are, but if he believes them important enough to flee the Collegium, then we ought to see."

"R-Right. Yeah..."

"Steady yourself, Initiate. The White does not falter."

* * *

**Bit of a visit to the Emerald and yes, Ruby still has a raft of little problems before we move onto some action in the next chapter. Glynda is obviously taking a very subtle way of worming herself into Ruby's good graces (or her intestinal tract, amirite? Ah, worm humour).**

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**Next Chapter: 23****rd**** August**

**P a treon . com (slash) Coeur **


	54. Chapter 54

**Ignore the troll spamming guest reviews as usual**

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**Cover Art:** Z-ComiX

**Chapter 54**

* * *

It wasn't the first time she'd seen the Crimson Arcana. Her duel with Malneux had taken part in the sandy training pits outside, expanses of sand and dirt ringed by wooden walls chest high. There were over twenty in total, some large enough to have twenty or more people do drills at once and others so small that even two combatants would feel cramped. Some had wooden posts to represent targets while others were empty, and one even contained a wooden combat course that reminded Ruby of the rooftops of Vale. A Crimson Arcanist was watching two younger Arcanists run through it, and they did run, much to her surprise. No magic was involved that she could see or sense and the two were sweaty but silent, powering on with raw determination.

"A strong body creates a strong mind." Glynda said, moving down the flagstone laid path between the dusty arenas. In one, Initiates were fighting two on one against a more experienced Arcanist, hurling spells toward him in an effort to break through his defences. In another, a man and a woman circled one another, lashing out occasionally with flaming spears. "The Crimson takes that to heart and it's a lesson we can all learn from. I've heard you like to run with the Collegium Guards in the morning. The White has strong relations with the Crimson. If you were to join us, you could even take part in training here."

"What is the building called?" Ruby asked, evading the question with casual ease. "It's the Gardens for the Emerald, the Archives for the Azure and the Cathedral for the White." She nodded ahead, the horseshoe shaped building in stark grey with red pennants hanging down the sides looming before them. It was functional. That was all she could say. It lacked the ornamentation of the White, the calming beauty of the Emerald or the sense of historical importance the Azure had. It was just a building, as though the architects had only cared to make it work and not for how it looked.

"Rather unimaginatively, they call it the Barracks. Simply that. The Crimson don't care for much other than the advancement of their art. That's not so bad, however, especially when they are so willing to assist us in matters of importance."

The horseshoe shape of the Barracks was angled in such a way that they had to walk between the curved prongs of the building, the wings, and up to the curved entrance inside the grounds itself. It reminded her of the town watch buildings in the Merchant's Quarter. Not the ones in the Lower District – those were broken down ruins in desperate need of repair – but the better equipped and maintained ones further up where the floods didn't reach.

Those were always more rugged and plain, lacking in much in the way of furniture other than wooden chairs and tables so basic they might as well have been planks fixed to trunks. The Barracks here were a little nicer, though only in the overall sense of quality. It was still spartan; it was just that what little furniture there was, a round table with four chairs beside it to the left, a weapon rack to the right, were of better make.

An Arcanist was already waiting for them as they arrived. He was tall and broad shouldered, almost twice the width of Ruby and bedecked from head to toe in tight cloth and leather strapped over red robes a shade darker than the others, more burgundy than crimson. The belts securing the leather to him were also red, likely dyed. His jerkin swept down to pleats falling down from his thighs to his knees and a vertical split in his robes, allowing more freedom of movement. Steel-toed boots peeked out from beneath and an _axe_ of all things hung on his left hip. The man had a thick black beard and tanned skin, hard eyes and dark lines reaching down his cheeks. He was with four other Arcanists, but it was hard to look away from him. He commanded Ruby's attention.

"Lord Rainart." Glynda bowed her head respectfully. "The White is ever thankful for your willingness to assist us."

"Lady Goodwitch." he replied. "The Crimson is ever thankful for the chance to practice our art. I understand it's an Azure today. Unusual. They're not normally ones to betray the Collegium. Does this have anything to do with the loss of the Archives?"

"I could not say for sure, not without questioning him."

Ruby would have snorted if she wasn't trying her best to stay out of trouble. It was obviously to do with the Archives, and they were intentionally playing stupid if they wanted to pretend otherwise. The Librarian might have wanted to go to another Collegium that still allowed access to them. Couldn't that be done legally, though? Maybe he thought the White would try and spread the closure of the Archives out across all of them.

"I've prepared four of our own. Two Arcanists and two Initiates. It's a good learning experience for them and I understand you're doing the same yourself. The Grand Arcanist has approved it, provided they go no further than the Upper District. We would not normally have considered it, but he's only an Azure. Combat is not their specialty."

"The same thoughts on our end, Lord Rainart. We have some promising Initiates. I trust yours are the same?"

"They shall not slow you down."

The way he said it made it seem as much a threat to the Initiates as a promise to Glynda. Ruby's eyes slid to the four flanking him, two on either side, quickly frowning when she recognised one of them. _Malneux._ The thought was practically a curse. He looked so excited, too, practically shaking with the thought of what they were going to do. The other was one she didn't recognise, a boy maybe a year older than them with brown hair and green eyes. He met her eyes and inclined his head respectfully. The two Arcanists looked far less interested, almost disappointed even. Ruby felt a flash of irritation at the idea that might because they considered an Azure Arcanist not worth the trouble.

"Richmond and Degasse." Lord Rainart indicated the two Arcanists, who bowed their heads in unison. Richmond was a tall man and Degasse a broad-shouldered woman. Both brought Ruby's mind to town guards, and the good kind, too. The kind you learned to avoid. Stern and uncompromising, the type that'd chase you across the whole city rather than give up after a street or two. "They will be in charge of our Initiates. You need not worry about their safety. I understand you'll be taking Nikos as well. How is she doing?"

"Marvellously so far. She passed the Trial. I will not say with ease because none do, but she was one of the only two to succeed."

"Hmm. Good. That one has spirit, but there was little we could offer her anymore. The constant fighting was… not boring her per se, but she seemed disinterested. Unfulfilled. To ours, the promise of improvement is all the goal needed, but she wanted more."

"The girl needs purpose," Glynda said. "The White shall provide it."

"I am pleased to hear that. Richmond, Degasse, I leave this to you. Initiates," he said, voice gravelly. "You are being trusted to represent the Collegium outside the wall and before your ascension to the title of Arcanist. Do not abuse this privilege."

/-/

To Ruby's frustration, Glynda had her wait outside with the other Initiates while she spoke with the two Crimson Arcanists and they waited for Weiss and Pyrrha to show up. That left her with Malneux and the new boy, who she quickly learned was called Noel DuMarc, and whom she quickly realised was fairly low on the pecking order because he stayed quiet the whole time and let Malneux do all the talking. A whole lot of talking.

"Kicked out of the Azure already, Rose? I can't believe you'd go running to a new Arcana so quickly. You must have had Lady Schnee pay your way in. Not that I can blame you. You've relied on her to do almost everything for you since day one."

"I didn't rely on her to win our duel."

His eyes flashed dangerously. "No. You relied on someone else instead. Where is Arc by the way? I haven't seen you with him of late. Did he finally wise up to your poor manners and throw you aside? I suppose it was too much to ask someone of his station to mingle with a foreigner like yourself."

Ruby's hands clenched and unclenched at her side. She looked away, unable and unwilling to answer the question. It _had_ been a while since she and Jaune spoke properly – well over two weeks now. Before, she'd just kept telling herself he was busy and she had her own problems with Merlot and the Archives, but now after reading his father's letter… What if he was in trouble and she'd ignored him? What kind of friend did that make her?

"Did I strike a sensitive subject? If so, I apologise." Malneux looked thrilled. "Happier topics, then? You might be relieved to know that while you were off in the Archives, I took the charitable decision of keeping Lady Schnee company."

"What?" she asked, snapping back to him.

"Hm? You left her alone in class and at lunch," he responded. "Didn't you think she would be lonely? Not to worry, I offered to let her sit with us and kept her company for the week. She was quite agreeable and rather good company if I do say so myself."

"Bullshit. Weiss can't stand you."

"Need you be so vulgar? And we can ask her, she approaches now."

Weiss and Pyrrha were walking side by side toward them. Where Weiss wore the white robes of her initiation, Pyrrha had changed back into red, and wore leather armour over her wrists and chest rising up to shield her breasts. Like Rainart, her robe was split in the centre, knee-length boots visible beneath. A shortsword lay strapped to her hip, a double belt hanging around her waist, one tight and the other loose to allow the sheathed weapon some swing. Her Arcanum was emblazoned proudly over her heart, the singular red gem glinting.

_It must be to show she's an Arcanist,_ Ruby thought. If they were going outside, then Pyrrha Nikos was technically a Crimson Arcanist more than she was a White Initiate. She had the freedom to leave as she wished and would obviously choose to represent herself in her higher rank.

"Lord Malneux," Weiss said, a tone of reluctance hinting at exasperation. "Are you accompanying us on this excursion?"

"I am, Lady Schnee. And I was just telling Lady Rose of how you and I ate and spent time together while she was otherwise engaged in the Archives. She seems rather doubtful of me, however. Even implied I might be lying. Would you mind answering that for both our sakes?"

Weiss sighed. "Is it really important-?"

"He's lying," Ruby said boldly. "He's lying. Isn't he?"

Martyn smirked and the fact Weiss didn't was all the answer Ruby needed, even before Weiss looked away. "He is telling the truth. Lord Malneux was a perfect gentleman, I can assure you. Really, this isn't important though."

It felt important. At least to her. Ruby's stomach sank as Martyn chuckled and gave the polite and passive-aggressive version of `I told you so` behind her. Ruby kept trying to meet Weiss' eyes, only for her friend to look away. _Why? I was only gone a week. Is that how long it takes for you to replace me? And with Malneux of all people…_

"Initiates. Nikos." Glynda returned and nodded her head to Pyrrha, greeting an equal. "You are all here. Good. You have all been made aware of our task. It is an important one and yet not so dangerous that we cannot see it as a learning experience. Consider yourselves fortunate but do not take this as anything less than the duty it is. I shall not abide reckless behaviour or merrymaking. Arcanist Nikos. I would ask you to stay with the White Initiates for this. I already know you are capable of combat and there's nothing to prove there. Richmond and Degasse will be protecting the Crimson Initiates, but I am too busy to do the same."

"Understood, Lady Goodwitch. I'm content to stay back."

"Appreciated. You are after all also a White Initiate, even if you are a fully fledged Arcanist. It's always a unique sensation but rest assured if I treat you as an inferior it is habit and no personal attack."

A small smile crept over Pyrrha's face. "I take no offence. My ego is not so fragile."

"I'm glad to hear it. Rose. Schnee." Glynda addressed them. "You will follow Arcanist Nikos' instructions in all matters. If she believes you defiant, I shall hear of it and you shall be punished accordingly. Inside these walls and inside the Cathedral you may be equals, but outside you carry the reputation of every Arcanist within our walls to the people of the city. Remember that. How you act will shape how our people view all of us – and within the Upper District, the Noble's Quarter, that is an even greater concern. It is one thing to fail to impress a merchant or citizen, another to embarrass the Collegium in front of the noble families."

"Yes Lady Goodwitch." Weiss said dutifully.

Ruby nodded along. Everyone noticed the lack of respect, intentional as it was, but Glynda didn't seem to care. She nodded and turned away, motioning for them to follow her. "We will travel on foot as there's no need to go far."

"May I ask a question, Lady Goodwitch?" Malneux asked once it was clear she had nothing more to say.

"You may, though we would expect silence once our hunt commences. Ask away for now and I shall answer."

"Thank you, Lady Goodwitch. How will we know where to find our quarry? Has he been sighted or located already, or shall we be hunting him ourselves?"

"A valid question. He has fled to his family's home, so we do know where he is locking himself away. Arcanists have been stationed on the gates in and out of the Upper District to prevent his escape, but he has not yet made the effort."

"How do we know he's Rogue, then?" Ruby asked. "He's allowed to leave the Collegium. Couldn't he just be going back home for a bit?"

"His actions prove otherwise. If he had simply left the Collegium and locked himself away, we would not care. However, he visited the Scriptorium before he left, broke into the vaults and destroyed his Simulacrum."

"His what now…?"

"A Simulacrum. You might remember being taken to the Scriptorium when you first joined the Collegium. I do believe Arcanist Watts took you there, Initiate. It acts as a record of your presence within the Collegium, hence the term used. It's not a specifically magical term or concept, just a record of who you are, when you joined us and similar things."

Ruby could vaguely remember the Scribe – or Lord Scribe – taking down information about her, records of a sort. He'd taken some of her blood, too. Considering the Collegium liked to have control over every Arcanist, it probably made sense for them to write down the name of every person who came through. They'd also asked her family name, which might let them better track what families had magical talent throughout it.

_Why would the Librarian go through all the effort of destroying his records, though? That's what outed him as a Rogue Arcanist when he could have just walked out the city and never come back._ It didn't make sense; he'd as good as told them what he was doing.

"Even if he doesn't try to flee, his actions would invite questions – and did. We're not going in to attack him without due reason, Initiates. We initially sent missives to demand answers as to why he did what he did, and then a single White Arcanist to speak with him. She was rebuffed, even threatened when she made to enter his home. Rather than risk a battle that might spill out into the Upper District, she chose to return and report to the White. The correct decision."

"That's it, then," Malneux said. "You don't get guiltier than that."

You really didn't. Ruby bit her lip and stayed quiet as they approached the gates, where two of the Collegium Guards swept their spears down to block their path. It was a bold and startling move, especially as she'd grown used to everyone scraping and bowing where Goodwitch was concerned.

"Initiates may not leave the Collegium, Lady Arcanist." The head guard nodded to Ruby and the others. "You may leave, they may not."

"They are with me, sirs. I have the permission of the Grand Arcanist."

The guard frowned and looked to his colleague. "Do you have proof of this?"

Glynda drew out a scroll and held it to them. The lead guard nodded to the other, who came forward to take it gingerly and then stepped back several paces. He opened it, read through, showed it to his colleague and then stepped even further back. An Arcanist was consulted, the woman taking the scroll, holding it up and whispering some soft words. A glow emanated from the scroll that Ruby couldn't see the source of, but it must have been like a wax seal to prove who the author was. Satisfied, the Arcanist rolled it up, nodded and handed it back to the guard. He brought it forward again, giving it to Glynda with a deep bow.

"Our apologies, Lady Arcanist. You are sanctioned to take the Initiates, though we would ask their names first. Records to be signed upon their return, lest some be lost outside the walls."

"There is no need for apology, good sirs. You do your duty well. The Initiates are Ruby Rose, Weiss Schnee, Martyn Malneux and Noel DuMarc." Each of their names was written down. The Guards looked to them in turn, nodding and handing the papers to the Arcanist stationed there.

"All is in order. Thank you for understanding, Lady Arcanist. Good day."

"Good day to you as well."

It was clear she approved of their questioning, even the lack of faith and assumed guilt they heaped upon her – a noble and the de facto leader of the White Arcana. If they showed that level of suspicion to even someone of her stature, Ruby couldn't imagine how suspicious they would be of the average Initiate like her trying to talk her way out.

Being able to walk outside the confining walls of the Collegium was worth it, though. The sun seemed to shine brighter and warmer and she could finally see the city in the distance. The tiered nature of Vale meant that only the Royal Palace was higher than the district they were in. From their lofty position she could look down and see home. The slums looked dark and squalid, as though the sunlight itself avoided it. Glynda led them away and to the east, along the outside of the wall, and soon she couldn't see past the dividing wall of the Upper and Lower District.

Whenever she'd seen Arcanists among the merchants she'd stopped and stared, and part of her expected the same from the Nobles in the Upper. It wasn't the case. Well dressed men and women walked by them as though they didn't exist and even the children playing spared not a glance for them. Arcanists must have been a part of everyday life for the nobles. They probably had Emerald Arcanists helping with every birth, ailment or minor injury. They'd have Arcanists in the family, or at least friends who knew them. People made way for Lady Goodwitch but otherwise ignored them, several even turning their noses up.

"You can see the Malneux estate from here," Martyn said. Despite herself, Ruby followed his finger. It was a lovely building, she had to admit. Light grey in colour and surrounded by flowering hedges with tall wooden ornamental structures beyond forming gazebos in the gardens. The mansion itself was four stories tall, evenly built with the same number of windows on either side, perfectly symmetrical and sporting a large fountain out front. "Our family has lived there for generations, ever since the founding of the city where Alberic Malneux fought alongside the first king. He was named the first marshal of Vale, a great honour that the Malneux family has claimed several times since. It's a shame Arcanists can't be marshals or I'd have made a try for it myself."

"No Arcanist may hold a position of office within the Kingdom," Glynda said softly.

"I understand, Lady Goodwitch. It was only whimsical thought. My aspiration now is to replace Lord Hazel Rainart as Commander of the Crimson Garrison."

"A lofty goal. Train hard, Initiate."

"You can see the Schnee manor from here as well," Martyn told them. "It is the smaller one over there, the one with the white flags and roses. They certainly do love their house colours." He chuckled as he said it, as though it was a cute and adorable thing. The manor was still large by the standards of anywhere Ruby had ever lived, but it looked squat and uncomfortable because of the fact it was pinned between two much larger ones.

It was three stories with elegant tall windows covered by silver gauze and filigree shaped like vines. Pillars entwined with flowers reached up to an overhanging marble ceiling casting shade over a pristine walkway to large, redwood doors. Despite its relative size compared to the other manors, it looked nicer in her eye. Cleaner and fresher, probably newly constructed. As Malneux said, there were a little too many pennants and flags hanging from it, however, along with large and ornate snowflake symbols over the front gates. It came across like it was trying too hard, as though the lord of the manor desperately wanted everyone to know who he was. Weiss kept her eyes down, not once looking toward her home.

"It's nice," Ruby said, hoping it might help her.

"It is." Malneux agreed easily. "As I heard it Lord Jacques hired the finest architects to design their home, and there's something to be said for the skill required to make so small a plot shine as well as it has. The Schnee family had a prior manor but it was lost in debt to the Arc family."

"The Arcs?"

"That's right. Something before Lady Weiss Schnee's time, I'm sure. There are plenty of ancestral debts going back, though it must be said most families sort those rather quickly. No one wants a debt hanging over their head. I hear the late Lord Schnee lacked in financial acumen, however. I wouldn't want to make assumptions and insult Lady Schnee, though."

"No. It's true." Weiss looked pained to admit it. "My grandfather was not what one would call thrifty. He borrowed money from the Arc family and failed to pay it back. In return, he offered away the Schnee home."

That must have been why the Schnee family were so desperate that they would marry a merchant in Jacques Schnee, Weiss' father. Blood might not mean much without anywhere to live, and she couldn't imagine anyone wanting to marry a family that pushed itself to near ruin.

"That was why it was such a surprise to hear of a marriage meet between Lord Jaune Arc and Lady Weiss Schnee," Martyn went on. "There were suggestions the Schnee were trying to win back their home through marriage."

Weiss' shoulders remained stiff and she kept walking, eyes away from home. They moved on in silence, past several more mansions of varying size and beauty. Each of them could and perhaps should have existed within acres of green land, but the fact they were dotted within a district meant they moved past at least twenty within as many minutes. It still bothered her that the Upper District and the slums were of a comparable size and yet there were maybe a hundredth of the people living here and they had all this space to themselves.

Eventually, they reached a middling manor, larger than Weiss', but then whose wasn't seemed to be the sentiment there. This one had redbrick walls, closed windows and a gate swung open and inward. It was quiet and dark, seemingly abandoned.

"The Aldeen family home," Glynda said. "An ancient family, though one limited in number now. Our quarry is the regent of the family by virtue of no siblings remaining among the living. His nephew, who studies as a lawmaker within the palace, is the official head, though he will not inherit until his fourteenth. After today, he may need a new regent. It is a shame his last living relative came to this."

"Last I checked the Aldeen family has many allies," Martyn said. "I'm sure they will be happy to help the young lord rebuild."

"Quite." It was clear Lady Goodwitch didn't care for his interruption, so clear that Martyn blushed red and backed away, bowing out a quick apology. "Initiates, you are to remain and watch. Even as an Azure, an Arcanist is too great a challenge for you here. Nikos, protect them. Richmond and Degasse - if you will accompany me."

Striding forward, the three of them moved into the gates and paused, Glynda stood in the middle and the two Crimson Arcanists flanking her. Her white robes billowed behind her, the gold glinting in the sunlight as she looked up at the tall building. She was calm, hands linked diplomatically in front of her, face even.

"Lord Frederick Aldeen," she called. "Arcanist of the Azure and of the Collegium of Vale. You stand charged of being in breach of the Tenets, an assault on the Scriptorium and theft from the Azure Archives. I ask that you come peacefully and-"

Ruby sensed the magic.

It crackled and burned in the air, forming bright blue bolts of lightning that pierced toward Glynda. Weiss cried out in alarm, but Martyn and Nikos remained calm. Ruby felt no need to panic either, sensing the build up of magic within Richmond and Degasse. As one, they stepped forward and swept their arms up, catching the spell in what Ruby could sense was a net of some kind, or an interconnecting weave of magical threads. The lightning crackled in the air and diverted, punching down into the ground and sparking harmlessly over the flagstone.

"I ask that you come peacefully and submit yourself to investigation," Lady Goodwitch continued, as though the attack had not happened. "You shall be afforded the chance to explain yourself to the Azure, the White and the Grand Arcanist, and should your explanation be sufficient, to re-enter the Collegium with a cleared name. Submit to us, Arcanist. The innocent have nothing to fear."

The answer was silence. The man Ruby had known only as the Librarian made no move to communicate with them. Light flared within the windows, the entire mansion seeming to pulse with energy Ruby could feel. In the distance, a bell within the Collegium tolled.

"So be it," Glynda said. "It seems he's had time to prepare and wishes to hold a last stand here."

"The manor crackles with magic," Degasse said. "I sense wards to alert him of entrance along with a few traps. Simple things, so simple my gut tells me they're intentional. I cannot sense any deeper and woven behind, however."

Ruby could sense _something_ there, and she could sort of feel heat coming from some parts, which she assumed meant fire magic of some kind, but it was an indistinct and vague thing, like feeling certain parts of the mansion were hot, cold or tingly. Was it training that let them understand at a glance what those meant, or was it something a Wildmage could never understand? To her, magic wasn't about patterns or logic or structure. It was a raw and emotional thing.

While she could tell where magic was, she couldn't tell what it was meant to do. The only assumptions she could make were that a spell containing fire over by the front entrance probably wasn't there to dry you off if it was raining, and that the feeling by the window that she'd best describe as `pressure` probably wasn't to keep it shut.

"I believe they _are_ that simple," Richmond said. "He's an Azure after all."

"I would rather err on caution than stand to be embarrassed. We have time on our side."

"Indeed we do," Glynda said conversationally. "I agree with both of you. I, too, sense the simplistic traps, and while my instinct is to say they're clever diversions to draw attention from the real danger, no amount of delving shows me more. They may in fact be diversions of a far simpler nature."

"To waste our time trying to figure out what they're there?" Richmond hummed. "Possible, but what does he gain from stalling? There is no help coming for him, nothing to wait for."

"Then the only answer is that he is a fool or that he is working on something that requires time." Glynda stepped forward, white robes swishing around her legs. "I will not risk the Collegium by assuming the former. Richmond, go left. Degasse, right. Find entrances and close in on the target from all sides. We cannot afford for him to escape the manor and make a run into the Upper District where he might imperil innocent people. Check every room."

The two Crimson Arcanists split off and walked across the gardens around the building. Lady Goodwitch gave them a few minutes and moved toward the front entrance, coiling power around her right fist in visible strands of golden light. They channelled out and toward the door, slamming it open. Fire raced down and out from it, washing over a shimmering shield. Goodwitch didn't slow and walked through it, forcing it aside and eventually passing through and into the mansion.

"And we're just meant to wait here?" Ruby asked. "What does this teach us?"

"It is a demonstration." Pyrrha explained.

"On what?"

"The importance of strategy and teamwork, of minimising risk and stopping a Rogue Arcanist from escaping into the city, desperate and afraid, where he might take people hostage. They can't take you inside where your lives would be in danger."

"Her life, perhaps," Martyn said. "I've dealt with worse in the Crimson."

The worst part was that he may well have been right – about being more experienced, not about her safety. As a Wildmage she could have burnt him to a crisp, but in terms of what skills she could actually show, he was better than her now. He was stockier, too, beginning to show some muscle definition from his training. As galling as it was to admit, he'd benefitted within the Crimson, and he hadn't joined it long after she and Weiss joined their Arcana. That would have placed him as one of the more talented Initiates alongside themselves.

"How about a wager, Rose?"

"Excuse me?"

"A friendly wager on how long it will take them to root out and deal with the Rogue. He's an Azure, so I doubt he'll last long, but you obviously think they're worth something or you wouldn't have joined them."

"Ruby, don't," Weiss said.

"Why not, Lady Schnee? It's only a little thing. I know Rose lacks money or standing due to her family's passing, so I won't put her in debt. In fact, how about the opposite? Win and I'll give you… let's say a hundred lien."

A hundred!? Ruby tried hard not to show how much that meant to her, least of all because if it was the kind of money someone could throw around in a childish bet, then it shouldn't mean much to a noble like her. It did, though. That kind of money was a big deal in the slums, enough to eat proper food for three months. _Yang could use that. Heck, I could use it!_

"Ruby," Weiss pleaded. "Don't do something stupid."

"And what would I be betting?" she asked. Weiss looked upset. Why, Ruby didn't know. She was asking the terms, which had to be as opposite to `doing something stupid` as she could get. "I'm not going to agree to something without knowing what I have to do if I lose."

"That's only natural. If I lose, I'll give you a hundred lien. If you lose, hm…" It would have been scandalous and bad for him if he asked anything too ridiculous. If it put her honour in question, she could say no and it wouldn't be her who lost out for it. People would talk about Martyn asking her something scandalous and he'd lose face. Money was always the safe bet, but they both knew she didn't have any. "Ah. I know. The Founding Festival is coming up in a few weeks. There will be a formal school dance on the first evening of it. If I win, you must accompany me as my partner – and you must be the one to ask _me_ to the dance."

"Say what!?" Ruby spluttered, and she wasn't the only one. Weiss looked downright shocked. "Wait. You want _me_ to go to the dance with _you_?" She hadn't even realised there would be a dance. The Founding was a city-wide festival even the slums recognised, but it wasn't like they had a formal event for it, and she hadn't thought to ask if the Collegium did. "Why would you want to go with me?"

"In truth I don't much want to go with anyone," he said with a small sigh. "To do so would be to lead a poor maiden on when my intentions are not there. However, it would be an embarrassment to go without a date. If you were to ask me, I could say I accepted out of politeness."

Out of pity, more like. He'd probably say he did it because no one else would want to go with some ruined noble on their arm, but he felt sorry for her. Ruby grimaced and looked away. The idea of having to go with him rankled. It made her scrunch her nose up. Weiss was giving her a look, though not one she recognised. Shock and a little suspicion seemed to be there, mostly the latter aimed toward Malneux. Ruby felt a fair chunk of her own. Hadn't Yang once told her some boys tried to show they liked you by bothering you all the time? She hoped not. If Martyn Malneux actually had feelings for her…

Ugh.

On the other hand, a hundred lien. One hundred.

"Alright. What are the terms we're betting on?"

"A simple higher or lower. We'll agree upon a time and I shall bet that they find and defeat the Azure Arcanist in less time. You take more. In the interests of fairness, Lady Nikos can take time."

"Please leave me out of this," Pyrrha said.

"Lady Weiss and Lord Noel, then?" Martyn asked. Noel DuMarc agreed with a shrug, leaving Weiss to agree as well lest the other cheat on Martyn's behalf. "Perfect. What do you say, Rose? How confident are you in the Azure?"

Confident enough. The Librarian was old and experienced, in his home territory and with time aplenty to prepare. He also had to have a plan, otherwise doing all this made no sense. He'd attacked the Scriptorium, all but _telling_ the White his intentions, then come here. He knew what would happen, which meant he thought he had a chance.

"Fine." Just to be safe, Ruby turned to Pyrrha. "What's the average time something like this would take?"

The redhead sighed. "I asked to be left out of this. Fifteen minutes. That is about average…"

"Fifteen minutes, then." Martyn said. "I will go further. I say he will be defeated and dragged out within _ten minutes_ of this time now. If he lasts longer than ten minutes, you win, and I hand over one hundred lien before the end of the day. If you lose, however, you must ask me to take you to the Founding dance publicly. Within the week. Any longer and I shall have ladies asking for my hand."

Ten minutes? Was that it? Ruby snorted and stuck out her hand. Easiest hundred lien of her life.

"Deal."

* * *

**Some rivalries never die.**

**Looking back, I wonder if Ruby could have used a rival in the show. It's a random thought and not one I've really considered before but look at almost any show of this nature – high school, action, adventure or even fantasy – and you normally have some early rival characters introduced to act as a foil for the protagonist. Someone they can bounce off. I suppose you could argue Roman counts as that, but it doesn't do it for me. Roman is a villain, so he's technically a rival to everyone. Jaune has Cardin and Cardin does work to help Jaune grow, but Ruby just kind of has no one, and as a result never really gets challenged in Beacon other than for, like, half an episode where Weiss suggests she's a bad leader. ****Food for thought.**

* * *

**Next Chapter: 30****th**** August**

**P a treon . com (slash) Coeur **


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